The first research protocol implemented under the COMSALUD project, a study on health in the media in Latin America, was organised by PAHO, FELAFACS, BASICS, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and UNESCO. The final report was prepared by Rina Alcalay, PhD & Carmen Mendoza, MS from the University of California at Davis.

The research protocol, written by Drs. Eduardo Contreras Budge, Elizabeth Fox, Mr. Max Tello Charun, and Ms. Jernnie Vasquez-Solis was implemented in 1997. A total of 12 universities and the Ministry of Health of Panama, representing 12 Latin American countries used a standard protocol to prepare and implement a research protocol and to compile data. The project studied the presence and content of health messages in the media. Key variables included in the protocol were:

• Type of media transmitting health-related messages
• Message subject and format
• Characterisation of main messages or key issues
• Suggested arguments and type of appeal
• Audience age and socio-economic status
• Language accessibility.

3,832 health-related messages were identified in newspapers, magazines, radio, and TV for all the countries. The number of recorded messages was 319. News was the primary source of transmittal of health-related messages (65.3%). 54% of the messages recommended healthy behaviors; the predominant health issues covered were health, environmental protection services, violence, and accidents. Self-care was a minor component of the messages (7.4% of all the messages). Few health messages were communicated through entertainment programmes, and very few messages were related to HIV/AIDS.