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1.
Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act ; 21(1): 60, 2024 May 21.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38773586

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The retail market for toddler-specific packaged foods is growing. Many of these products are ultra-processed and high in nutrients of concern for health, yet marketed in ways that may make them appear wholesome. This study aims to assess parents' responses to claims on unhealthy, ultra-processed toddler food products and test whether removing such claims promotes more accurate product perceptions and healthier product preferences. METHODS: Parents of toddlers aged 12 to < 36 months (N = 838) were recruited for an online experiment testing four on-pack claim conditions: control (no claim); 'contains "good" ingredient'; 'free from "bad" ingredient'; and unregulated 'child-related' claim. Participants were randomly assigned to one condition, then viewed images of toddler food products that varied in nutrition content and the claims displayed. Participants completed tasks assessing product preferences (unhealthy product displaying claim vs. a healthier option with no claim, across four food categories (banana bars, strawberry snacks, blueberry yogurt snacks and veggie snacks)), purchase intentions and product perceptions. Poisson regression (count variable) and linear regression (continuous outcomes) analyses were employed to test for mean differences by marketing claim conditions. RESULTS: For the overall sample, brief exposure to 'free from "bad" ingredient' claims increased participant's intentions to purchase unhealthy food products for their toddlers, but there was no clear evidence that 'contains "good" ingredient' claims and 'child-related' claims significantly impacted parent's preferences, purchase intentions and perceptions of toddler foods. However, certain claims influenced particular parent subgroups. Notably, parents with three or more children chose more unhealthy products when these products displayed 'contains "good" ingredient' or 'free from "bad" ingredient' claims; the latter claims also promoted stronger purchase intentions and enhanced product perceptions among this subgroup. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate that 'free from "bad" ingredient' claims on unhealthy toddler foods are of most concern, as they boost the appeal of these products to parents. 'Contains "good" ingredient' claims and 'child-related' claims showed limited effects in this study. Considering available evidence, we recommend claims should not be permitted on child-oriented foods, as they may promote inaccurate product perceptions and unhealthy product choices by parents, that can detract from their children's diets and health.


Subject(s)
Consumer Behavior , Food Labeling , Food Preferences , Marketing , Parents , Adult , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Infant , Male , Choice Behavior , Food Preferences/psychology , Infant Food , Intention , Marketing/methods , Nutritive Value , Parents/psychology , Perception , Snacks
2.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38749507

ABSTRACT

ISSUE ADDRESSED: The pervasive promotion of energy-dense, nutrient-poor food and drinks undermines efforts by adolescents and their parent/carers to maintain a nutritious diet during a crucial developmental period. This study examined the association between awareness of food and drink advertisements and adolescents' dietary behaviours and intake. METHODS: A sample of Australian secondary students aged 12-17 years (N = 8763) self-reported their awareness of food and drink advertisements across seven settings, whether they had tried a new product or asked a parent/carer to purchase a product they had seen advertised, and their consumption of various unhealthy food and drink types. Analyses used multilevel mixed-effects generalised linear models adjusted for school-level clustering, socio-demographic factors and television viewing. RESULTS: Students with higher advertising awareness were more likely to have tried a new product they had seen advertised (adjusted prevalence ratio [APR] = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.51-1.73, p < .001) and asked their parent/carer to buy an advertised product (APR = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.51-1.73, p < .001) at least once in the past month. As advertising awareness increased, so too did students' likelihood of reporting these dietary behaviours. A high unhealthy food intake was more commonly reported among students with higher advertising awareness (APR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.32-1.58, p < .001), as was a high unhealthy drink intake (APR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.18-1.42, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Australian adolescents are vulnerable to the persuasive effects of food and drink marketing. SO WHAT?: Greater restrictions on the way the food and drink industry can market their products to adolescents are needed to better support them in developing and maintaining positive dietary behaviours.

3.
Health Promot J Austr ; 35(2): 332-339, 2024 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37286359

ABSTRACT

ISSUE ADDRESSED: This study assessed Australian adults' attitudes towards government actions to protect children from digital marketing of unhealthy food and drink products. METHODS: An online survey was undertaken by Australian adults aged 18-64 recruited via two national panels in December 2019 (N = 2044). RESULTS: Most respondents (69%) agreed the Government should protect children from unhealthy food and drink marketing and advertising broadly. Those who agreed most commonly indicated children should be protected up to age 16 (34%) or 18 (24%). There was widespread support for government actions to stop unhealthy food and drink marketing on digital platforms (e.g., internet sites) (68%-69%) and various digital marketing techniques (e.g., advertising by brands on social media) (56%-71%). A total ban on targeting unhealthy food and drink marketing to children online received the highest level of support (76%). Most respondents (81%) disagreed unhealthy food and drink companies should be able to collect children's personal information for marketing purposes. Support for examined actions was generally higher among older adults, more educated adults and more frequent internet users, lower among males, and similar between parents and non-parents. CONCLUSIONS: There is public perception that the government is responsible for protecting children, well into adolescence, from unhealthy food and drink marketing broadly. Widespread public support extends to specific actions to reduce children's exposure to digital marketing of unhealthy food and drink products. SO WHAT?: Implementation of policies to protect children from digital marketing of unhealthy food and drink products would be well received by the Australian public.


Subject(s)
Food , Marketing , Male , Child , Adolescent , Humans , Aged , Australia , Marketing/methods , Advertising , Government , Food Industry
4.
BMC Public Health ; 23(1): 396, 2023 02 27.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36849894

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Exposure to alcohol advertising and sponsorship through elite sport is associated with harmful use of alcohol. Owing to strong financial and cultural ties between alcohol and sport in Australia, policy action to restrict alcohol sport sponsorship is unlikely to occur without strong public support for change. This study tested whether exposure to counter-advertising exposing industry marketing of harmful products-a technique shown to be effective in tobacco control-promotes higher support for policy change and less favourable beliefs about the alcohol industry among sport spectators. METHODS: A sample of 1,075 Australian adults aged 18-49 years who planned to watch an National Rugby League (NRL) State of Origin series game, featuring prominent alcohol sponsorship, was recruited through an online panel and randomly assigned to one of three conditions: control (neutral advertisement); counter-advertisement exposing alcohol harms; counter-advertisement exposing alcohol sponsorship and harms. Participants completed a pre-test questionnaire and viewed their assigned counter-advertisement multiple times in the 5-7 days before the NRL game. Within four days of watching the game, participants completed post-test measures. RESULTS: Compared to both the control advertisement and the counter-advertisement exposing alcohol harms, participants who viewed the counter-advertisement exposing alcohol sponsorship and harms were significantly more likely to indicate support for each of four policies aimed at restricting sports-related alcohol marketing, including the complete removal of alcohol sponsorship from sport (51% vs. 32% and 37%). They were also significantly less likely to agree with statements such as "alcohol companies should be allowed to sponsor sport since their products are legal" (39% vs. 63% and 60%) and significantly less likely to report liking alcohol companies in general (38% vs. 59% and 54%). There were no significant differences in policy support or industry beliefs between participants who saw the counter-advertisement exposing alcohol harms and those who saw the control advertisement. CONCLUSION: Counter-advertising employing messages that expose and critique the intent and impact of pervasive alcohol sponsorship in sport has potential to bolster public support for policies targeting alcohol sport sponsorship, diminish beliefs supportive of alcohol industry marketing strategies and enhance negative views of alcohol companies and their marketing practices.


Subject(s)
Advertising , Sports , Adult , Humans , Australia , Ethanol , Public Policy
5.
Health Promot J Austr ; 34(4): 759-764, 2023 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36727405

ABSTRACT

ISSUE ADDRESSED: To examine the potential impact on trends in reported adolescent sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption following the adult-targeted Western Australian (WA) LiveLighter "Sugary Drinks" campaign, which is a television-led healthy lifestyle promotion and education mass media campaign that aired in multiple bursts between July 2013 and December 2018. METHODS: Data were from a repeated cross-sectional survey of Australian secondary school students aged 12-17 years conducted nation-wide in 2009-2010 (n = 13 790 from 238 schools), 2012-2013 (n = 10 309 from 196 schools) and 2018 (n = 9102 from 104 schools). RESULTS: Significant declines in high SSB consumption (≥4 cups/week) were observed between 2009-2010 and 2012-2013 among students in both WA (27.1% vs 20.3%; odds ratio [OR] = 0.65, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.50-0.84, P = .001) and all other states and territories combined (30.6% vs 21.4%; OR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.53-0.68, P < .001). Compared to 2012-2013, the proportion of students in WA who reported high SSB consumption was significantly lower in 2018 (20.3% vs 9.6%; OR = 0.37, 95% CI = 0.21-0.65, P = .001), whereas this significant decrease was not observed in all other states and territories combined (21.4% vs 17.8%; OR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.67-0.97, P = .024). Interaction testing indicated that the recent decline observed in WA was more pronounced among female than male students. CONCLUSIONS: Mass media campaigns targeted towards the Australian adult population may have favourable effects among adolescents with the steeper decline in high SSB consumption observed in WA between 2012-2013 and 2018 coinciding with the repeated airing of the LiveLighter "Sugary Drinks" campaign in this state. SO WHAT?: Government investment in mass media campaigns may hasten declines in adolescents' SSB consumption.


Subject(s)
Sugar-Sweetened Beverages , Humans , Adult , Male , Adolescent , Female , Cross-Sectional Studies , Australia , Mass Media , Schools , Beverages
6.
Health Promot J Austr ; 34(4): 750-758, 2023 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36786727

ABSTRACT

ISSUE ADDRESSED: To assess the nutritional composition of commercially available foods (CAFs) for infants and toddlers sold in Australia to determine whether they meet World Health Organization (WHO) Europe's proposed standards for nutritionally appropriate foods for children <36 months. METHODS: A cross-sectional retail audit of infant (n = 177) and toddler (n = 73) foods found in-store and online at three major Victorian supermarkets was conducted in August/September 2019. Products were grouped according to WHO Europe's food categories and their nutrient content assessed against specific composition standards applicable to their category. The presence of added sugar in each product was also recorded. RESULTS: Most infant products (71%) were soft-wet spoon-able, ready-to-eat foods whereas the most prevalent category for toddler products was dry finger foods and snacks (71%). Overall, just one-third of CAFs met all the nutrient recommendations for their category, with infant foods more likely to be compliant than toddler foods (43% vs. 10%; P < .001). Around 9 in 10 infant (93%) and toddler (89%) CAFs contained added sugar according to the Public Health England definition of 'free' sugars. CONCLUSIONS: There is considerable scope to improve the nutritional composition of Australian CAFs for both infants and toddlers, to reduce harmful sugars in these foods and to improve the energy density of them. For CAFs marketed as suitable for toddlers there is also considerable scope to reduce the sodium content. SO WHAT?: These findings support the need for stronger regulation of CAFs for infants and toddlers to better promote healthy eating patterns and taste preferences in young children.


Subject(s)
Infant Food , Sugars , Infant , Humans , Child, Preschool , Cross-Sectional Studies , Nutritive Value , Australia , Infant Food/analysis , Nutrients
7.
Health Promot J Austr ; 34(4): 784-790, 2023 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36625434

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Discretionary, energy-dense, nutrient-poor food and drinks are heavily marketed and readily available in retail settings frequented by adolescents. This study examines associations between food purchasing practices in various retail settings and dietary intake among Australian adolescents. METHODS: Participants were students in years 8 to 11 (ages 12-17 years) who completed the 2009-10 (n = 13 790), 2012-13 (n = 10 309) or 2018 (n = 9102) National Secondary Students' Diet and Activity (NaSSDA) cross-sectional survey. Multistage stratified random sampling was used. An online survey completed at school assessed self-reported frequency of food purchasing practices in various retail settings and consumption of discretionary food, sugary drinks, fruit and vegetables. Generalised linear regression models examined associations between food purchasing practices and dietary behaviour. RESULTS: Relative to students who brought lunch from home, those who purchased lunch from school or nearby outlets reported higher intake of discretionary food and sugary drinks and lower fruit intake. Buying lunch from school was also associated with lower vegetable intake. Buying food or drinks on the school commute, outside school grounds during school hours, from supermarket checkouts, and using mobile phone apps were each associated with higher discretionary food and sugary drink intake (all P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Purchasing food or drink in various retail settings is associated with higher intake of discretionary food and drink among Australian adolescents, and some purchasing practices appeared to displace fruit and vegetable intake. SO WHAT?: These findings highlight a need to improve the accessibility and promotion of healthier food and drink options in schools and other retail settings.


Subject(s)
Diet , Eating , Humans , Adolescent , Cross-Sectional Studies , Australia , Fruit , Vegetables , Schools
8.
Public Health Nutr ; 25(11): 3044-3053, 2022 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35983831

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To examine Australian adolescents' knowledge and beliefs regarding potential health consequences of soda and diet soda consumption and nutritional aspects of soda and explore associations with consumption. DESIGN: A survey utilising a nationally representative sample (stratified two-stage probability design) assessed knowledge of nutritional contents and health consequences of soda, and beliefs regarding health risks of diet soda, and soda and diet drink consumption. SETTING: Australia. PARTICIPANTS: 9102 Australian school students (12-17 years) surveyed in 2018. RESULTS: Adolescents had lower nutritional knowledge (sugar content (22·2 %), exercise equivalent (33·9 %), calories/kJ (3·1 %)) than general knowledge of health risks (87·4 %) and some health effects (71·7-75·6 % for tooth decay, weight gain and diabetes), with lower knowledge of heart disease (56·0 %) and cancer (19·3 %). Beliefs regarding health effects of diet soda were similar, albeit not as high. In general, female sex, older age and less disadvantage were associated with reporting health effects of soda and diet soda, and nutritional knowledge of soda (P < 0·001). Those reporting tooth decay, weight gain, heart disease and diabetes as health effects of soda and diet soda were lower consumers of soda and diet drinks (P < 0·001), as were those with higher nutritional knowledge (sugar content and exercise equivalent; P < 0·001). CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights possible knowledge gaps regarding the health effects of soda and nutritional knowledge for public health intervention. When implementing such interventions, it is important to monitor the extent to which adolescents may consider diet drinks as an alternative beverage given varied beliefs about health consequences and evolving evidence.


Subject(s)
Diabetes Mellitus , Heart Diseases , Adolescent , Australia , Beverages , Carbonated Beverages/adverse effects , Diet/adverse effects , Female , Humans , Sugars , Weight Gain
9.
BMC Public Health ; 22(1): 105, 2022 01 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35033054

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: 24-hour movement guidelines recommend a healthy balance of high levels of physical activity, low levels of sedentary behaviour and appropriate sleep duration each day. At present, surveillance data on how Australian adolescents are performing against these guidelines are lacking. This study aims to describe the extent to which Australian secondary school students are adhering to the physical activity, sedentary recreational screen time and sleep duration recommendations outlined in the national 24-hour movement guidelines for children and young people. It also examines whether there are socio-demographic differences in levels of compliance and if there have been significant changes in these behaviours over time. METHODS: A repeated national cross-sectional survey of students in grades 8 to 11 (ages 12-17 years) was conducted in 2009-2010 (n=13,790), 2012-2013 (n=10,309) and 2018 (n=9,102). Students' self-reported physical activity, screen time and sleep behaviours were assessed using validated instruments administered in schools via a web-based questionnaire. RESULTS: In 2018, around one in four students (26%) did not meet any of the 24-hour movement guidelines, while only 2% of students met all three. Adherence to the sleep duration recommendation was highest (67%), with substantially smaller proportions of students meeting the physical activity (16%) and screen time (10%) recommendations. Differences in adherence by sex, grade level and socio-economic area were apparent. Students' compliance with the screen time recommendation has declined over time, from 19% in 2009-2010 to 10% in 2018. However, there has been no significant change in the proportion meeting the physical activity (15% in 2009-2010 cf. 16% in 2018) and sleep duration (69% in 2009-2010 cf. 67% in 2018) recommendations. Compliance with all three guidelines has remained very low (<3%) across each survey round. CONCLUSIONS: There is considerable scope to improve Australian adolescents' physical activity and sedentary behaviours in line with the national 24-hour movement guidelines. Policy proposals and environmental interventions, particularly those focused on replacing sedentary screen time with physical activity (e.g. promotion of active commuting to/from school), are needed to better support Australian adolescents in meeting the 24-hour movement guidelines.


Subject(s)
Sedentary Behavior , Sleep , Adolescent , Australia , Child , Cross-Sectional Studies , Guideline Adherence , Humans , Prevalence
10.
Health Promot J Austr ; 33(3): 920-925, 2022 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34957625

ABSTRACT

ISSUE ADDRESSED: Introduced relatively recently in the Australian market, flavour capsule cigarettes pose a risk to adolescents by providing a palatable pathway to smoking initiation. The present study aimed to establish the prevalence of the use of flavour capsule cigarettes in Australian adolescents and to examine the association between frequency of use and smoking behaviour and intentions and perceptions of cigarette brand differences. METHODS: Data were from a 2017 cross-sectional school-based survey of secondary students aged 12-17 years (N = 4266) in Victoria who self-reported their smoking behaviours, smoking intentions and cigarette brand perceptions. Regression analyses were conducted controlling for sex, age group, education sector and other covariates. RESULTS: Overall, 5% (n = 195) of all students reported ever using flavour capsule cigarettes. Of the 675 students who had ever smoked, 29% (n = 194) had tried a flavour capsule cigarette. The likelihood of past-month and past-week smoking was significantly higher, and future smoking intentions were significantly stronger, for ever-smokers who had used flavour capsule cigarettes multiple times compared to those who had never used this type of cigarette. Ever-smokers were more likely to agree that 'some brands of cigarettes are easier to smoke than others' if they had tried a flavour capsule cigarette. CONCLUSIONS: There are high levels of use of flavour capsule cigarettes among Australian adolescent smokers, with more frequent use associated with greater involvement in smoking. SO WHAT?: These findings add to those of other studies suggesting that flavour capsule cigarettes may have negative impacts on youth smoking, strengthening the case for their prohibition in Australia.


Subject(s)
Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems , Tobacco Products , Adolescent , Cross-Sectional Studies , Humans , Prevalence , Students , Victoria/epidemiology
11.
Nutr J ; 20(1): 64, 2021 07 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34225738

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Non-alcoholic energy drinks ('energy drinks') are high in sugar, as well as caffeine, leading to concerns regarding their suitability for children and adolescents. Despite this, marketing of energy drinks is often directed at adolescents, and there are no age restrictions on the sale of these products in Australia. The current study aimed to examine patterns in consumption of energy drinks among Australian secondary school students and identify sociodemographic and behavioural correlates associated with regular consumption. METHODS: Participants were 8942 students in Years 8 to 11 (aged 12 to 17 years) who participated in the 2018 National Secondary Students' Diet and Activity (NaSSDA) cross-sectional survey. A multistage stratified random sampling procedure was used. Within the school setting, students self-completed an online questionnaire assessing their dietary, physical activity and sedentary behaviours. A multilevel logistic regression model was used to examine associations between energy drink consumption and sociodemographic and behavioural factors. RESULTS: Overall, 8% of students reported consuming energy drinks on a weekly basis ('regular consumers'). A further 16% indicated they consume less than one cup per week of these types of drinks, while around three-quarters (76%) reported they do not consume energy drinks. Regular consumption of energy drinks was independently associated with being male, having greater weekly spending money, high intakes of snack foods, fast food, other sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit juice, as well as short sleep duration. There was no independent association with other sociodemographic characteristics (i.e., year level, level of disadvantage, geographic location), consumption of vegetables and fruit, physical activity level, or sedentary recreational screen time. CONCLUSIONS: While most Australian adolescents do not consume energy drinks, regular consumption is more prevalent among males, and consumption appears to cluster with other unhealthy dietary behaviours and short sleep duration. Findings support the need for policies that will reach identified at-risk groups (e.g., increased regulation of the marketing and sale of energy drinks), as well as suggest opportunities for interventions targeting energy drink consumption alongside other unhealthy dietary behaviours.


Subject(s)
Energy Drinks , Adolescent , Australia , Child , Cross-Sectional Studies , Diet , Humans , Male , Sleep
12.
Public Health Nutr ; 24(13): 4023-4034, 2021 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34018479

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To test whether point-of-sale (POS) information about the nutrition content of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) promotes healthier drink choices among teenagers, and explore whether POS intervention effects vary based on prior exposure to a sugary drink public health campaign (13 Cancers). DESIGN: Between-subjects online experiment with three POS signage conditions: no signage (control); sugar content (SC) and Health Star Rating (HSR). Participants viewed their assigned POS sign alone, then alongside a drinks product display and chose which drink they would buy. Perceptions of various drink products and campaign recall were assessed. SETTING: Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Adolescents aged 13-17 years (n 925) recruited via an online panel. RESULTS: POS signs did not promote a significant reduction in preference for SSB (cf. control condition). Cognitive and emotional responses to POS signs were strongest for the SC sign, which was rated higher than the HSR sign on various perceived effectiveness measures. Participants who saw the SC sign rated SSB as less healthy (cf. control condition) and were more likely to accurately estimate the number of teaspoons of sugar in soft drink (cf. HSR sign and control conditions). There was no significant interaction between prior exposure to the 13 Cancers campaign and POS signage condition regarding preferences for and perceptions of SSB. CONCLUSIONS: SSB POS interventions may not have the desired effect on adolescents' drink preferences. Testing SSB POS signs in real-world retail settings is needed to determine whether positive educational impacts extend to promoting healthier drink purchases and reduced SSB consumption among teenagers.


Subject(s)
Sugar-Sweetened Beverages , Adolescent , Beverages , Carbonated Beverages , Consumer Behavior , Humans , Nutritional Status , Sugars
13.
Appetite ; 166: 105431, 2021 11 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34062174

ABSTRACT

Unhealthy food and drink marketing is prominent on social media and use of such platforms is widespread among adolescents. This study aims to examine the association between exposure to and engagement with food or drink advertisements on social media and unhealthy food and drink intake in Australian adolescents. In 2018, a representative sample of secondary school students aged 12-17 years (N = 8708) self-reported how frequently they saw food or drink advertisements on social media (exposure), 'liked' or 'shared' food or drink posts (engagement), and consumption of various unhealthy food and drinks. Multilevel logistic regression assessed the association between exposure to and engagement with food marketing on social media and high intake of unhealthy food and drinks. Fifty-five percent of students reported seeing a food or drink advertisement on social media at least weekly, while engagement was less frequent. Exposure to a food or drink advertisement on social media at least once in the last week was associated with a high intake of unhealthy drinks, while liking or sharing a food or drink post at least once in the last month was associated with a high intake of unhealthy food and drinks (all p < 0.01). As frequency of engagement with this type of marketing increased, so too did the likelihood of a high intake of unhealthy food and drinks. The association between exposure to and engagement with food or drink marketing and high unhealthy drink intake was driven by males, while all associations persisted irrespective of age. Holding manufacturers to higher standards in their digital marketing of unhealthy food and drink products through improved policy design and enforcement capability may be crucial in enabling young individuals to maintain a healthy diet.


Subject(s)
Social Media , Adolescent , Australia , Cross-Sectional Studies , Eating , Food , Humans , Male , Marketing
14.
Public Health Nutr ; 23(4): 727-737, 2020 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31915086

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To explore parents' responses to sponsorship of children's sport by unhealthy food brands and two alternative pro-health sponsorship options. DESIGN: Between-subjects online experiment with four sponsorship conditions: (i) non-food branding (control); (ii) unhealthy food branding; (iii) healthier food branding; (iv) public health nutrition campaign branding. Participants were shown a short video and a promotional flyer for a fictional junior sports programme, with sponsor content representing their assigned brand. Afterwards, participants were asked a series of questions assessing their brand awareness, brand attitudes and preference for food sponsor branded products. SETTING: Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Australian parents (n 1331) of children aged 6-9 years. RESULTS: Compared with the control condition, unhealthy food sponsorship promoted increased awareness, branded product preferences and favourable attitudes towards unhealthy food sponsor brands. Healthier food sponsorship promoted similar effects for healthier food sponsor brands, except there was no significant increase in positive attitudes towards these brands. Sponsorship by public health nutrition campaigns promoted more negative attitudes towards unhealthy food sponsor brands and increased preference for healthier food sponsor branded products. Overall, healthier food sponsors and public health campaign sponsors were perceived to have better programme-sponsor fit and to be more appropriate sponsors of children's sport than unhealthy food sponsors. CONCLUSIONS: Restrictions on unhealthy food sponsorship of children's sport are needed to prevent unhealthy food brands from exploiting junior sport sponsorship to enhance their appeal. Sponsorship of children's sport by healthier food brands or public health nutrition campaigns could help promote healthier food choices among parents.


Subject(s)
Diet, Healthy/psychology , Food Preferences/psychology , Marketing/methods , Parents/psychology , Youth Sports/psychology , Adult , Attitude , Australia , Child , Female , Foods, Specialized , Health Promotion , Humans , Male
15.
Public Health Nutr ; 23(8): 1340-1349, 2020 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32172726

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To examine demographic and behavioural correlates of frequent consumption of fast food among Australian secondary school students and explore the associations between fast food consumption and social/environmental factors. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey using a web-based self-report questionnaire. SETTING: Secondary schools across all Australian states and territories. PARTICIPANTS: Students aged 12-17 years participating in the 2012-2013 National Secondary Students' Diet and Activity survey (n 8392). RESULTS: Overall, 38 % of students surveyed reported consuming fast food at least weekly. Being male, residing in lower socio-economic areas and metropolitan locations, having more weekly spending money and working at a fast food outlet were all independently associated with consuming fast food once a week or more, as were several unhealthy eating (low vegetable intake and high sugary drink and snack food intake) and leisure (low physical activity and higher commercial television viewing) behaviours and short sleep duration. Frequent fast food consumption and measured weight status were unrelated. Students who agreed they go to fast food outlets with their family and friends were more likely to report consuming fast food at least weekly, as were those who usually 'upsize' their fast food meals and believe fast food is good value for money. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that frequent fast food consumption clusters with other unhealthy behaviours. Policy and educational interventions that reach identified at-risk groups are needed to reduce adolescent fast food consumption at the population level. Policies placing restrictions on the portion sizes of fast food may also help adolescents limit their intake.


Subject(s)
Diet , Fast Foods , Students , Adolescent , Female , Humans , Male , Australia , Cross-Sectional Studies , Feeding Behavior , Schools , Child
16.
Public Health Nutr ; : 1-10, 2020 Oct 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33023707

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to assess the nutritional quality of Australian secondary school canteen menus. DESIGN: Stratified national samples of schools provided canteen menus in 2012-2013 and 2018, which were systematically assessed against a 'traffic light' classification system according to the National Healthy School Canteen Guidelines. Items were classified as green (healthiest and recommended to dominate canteen menus), amber (select carefully) or red (low nutritional quality, should not appear on canteen menus), and pricing and promotional strategies were recorded. SETTING: Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Canteen menus from 244 secondary schools (2012-2013 n 148, 2018 n 96). RESULTS: A total of 21 501 menu items were classified. Forty-nine percent of canteen menus contained at least 50 % green items; however, nearly all (98·5 %) offered at least one red item and therefore did not comply with national recommendations. Snacks and drinks had the least healthy profile of all product sectors, and a large proportion of schools supplied products typically of poor nutritional quality (meat pies and savoury pastries 91·8 %, sugary drinks 89·5 %, sweet baked goods 71·5 %, ice creams 64·1 % and potato chips 44·0 %). Red items were significantly cheaper than green items on average, and many schools promoted the purchase of red items on canteen menus (52·8 %). There were few differences between survey waves. CONCLUSIONS: There is considerable room for improvement in the nutritional quality of canteen menus in Australian secondary schools, including in the availability, pricing and promotion of healthier options. Additional resources and services to support implementation of national guidelines would be beneficial.

17.
BMC Public Health ; 20(1): 1781, 2020 Nov 25.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33238936

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: To help address rising rates of obesity in children, evidence is needed concerning impacts of common forms of marketing for unhealthy child-oriented food products and the efficacy of educational interventions in counteracting any detrimental impacts of such marketing. This study aims to explore parents' responses to advertising for unhealthy children's food products that employ different types of persuasive appeals and test whether a counter-advertising intervention exposing industry motives and marketing strategies can bolster parents' resistance to influence by unhealthy product advertising. METHODS: N = 1613 Australian parents were randomly assigned to view online either a: (A) non-food ad (control); (B) conventional confectionery ad (highlighting sensory benefits of the product); (C) pseudo-healthy confectionery ad (promoting sensory benefits and health attributes of the product); (D) conventional confectionery ad + counter-ad (employing inoculation-style messaging and narrative communication elements); (E) pseudo-healthy confectionery ad + counter-ad. Parents then viewed various snacks, including those promoted in the food ads and counter-ad. Parents nominated their preferred product, then rated the products. RESULTS: Exposure to the conventional confectionery ad increased parents' preference for the advertised product, enhanced perceptions of the product's healthiness and reduced sugar content and boosted brand attitude. Exposure to the pseudo-healthy confectionery ad increased parents' preference for the advertised product, and enhanced perceptions of healthiness, fibre content and lower sugar content. The counter-ad diminished, but did not eliminate, product ad effects on parents' purchasing preference, product perceptions and brand attitudes. The counter-ad also prompted parents to perceive processed foods as less healthy, higher in sugar and lower in fibre and may have increased support for advertising regulation. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to unhealthy product advertising promoted favourable perceptions of products and increased preferences for advertised products among parents. Counter-advertising interventions may bolster parents' resistance to persuasion by unhealthy product advertising and empower parents to more accurately evaluate advertised food products.


Subject(s)
Advertising/methods , Food/adverse effects , Parents/psychology , Pediatric Obesity/prevention & control , Persuasive Communication , Adult , Australia/epidemiology , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Pediatric Obesity/epidemiology
18.
Appetite ; 149: 104612, 2020 06 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31981587

ABSTRACT

Point-of-sale (POS) interventions that prompt consumers to more critically evaluate sugary drinks could encourage reduced consumption of these drinks and reinforce public health campaign messages. This study tested whether: (i) POS nutrition information and health warnings about sugary drinks promote healthier drink choices and (ii) impacts of prominent POS signs on drink choices vary based on participants' self-reported prior exposure to a sugary drink public health campaign. In an online experiment, 3034 Australian adults aged 18-59 years who were past-week sugary drink consumers were randomly assigned to one of five POS signage conditions (no signage (control); sugar content of specific beverages; Health Star Rating of specific beverages; generic text health warning about sugary drinks; generic graphic health warning about sugary drinks) and shown their randomly assigned POS sign alone, then alongside a drinks product display and asked to select which drink they would choose to buy. The proportion selecting a sugary drink was significantly lower among participants who viewed either the sugar content (29%), Health Star Rating (33%) or graphic health warning (34%) signs compared to those who saw no sign (43%). These effects held for participants who did not recall previously seeing the campaign; however, for participants with self-reported prior exposure to the campaign, POS signs did not promote significant reductions in sugary drink choices. POS signage has the potential to shift consumers away from choosing sugary drinks and could complement mass media campaigns by reaching people who may not otherwise be exposed to sugary drink public health messages.


Subject(s)
Consumer Behavior , Food Labeling/methods , Food Preferences/psychology , Health Promotion/methods , Location Directories and Signs , Adolescent , Adult , Australia , Choice Behavior , Dietary Sugars/analysis , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Young Adult
19.
Prev Med ; 106: 66-72, 2018 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28987330

ABSTRACT

Adolescence is a critical time for disengagement from physical activity making young people a priority group for interventions. To determine whether existing initiatives are working in this population segment and help inform future programs, the present study sought to (i) examine prevalences and trends in physical activity and screen-based recreation among Australian adolescents and (ii) identify the barriers to adolescents meeting recommended guidelines. Two cross-sectional representative samples of Western Australian secondary school students aged 12 to 17years were surveyed in 2009-2010 (n=1505) and 2012-2013 (n=1406). Around a quarter (24%) of boys and just 9% of girls reported engaging in the recommended 60min of physical activity per day in 2012-2013. A minority (13% of boys, 17% of girls) adhered to guidelines for time spent engaging in screen-based recreation (≤2h of electronic media use for entertainment). These findings were comparable to 2009-2010 prevalence levels. Multivariable logistic regression analyses conducted on data from the most recent wave found individual-level barriers to be significantly associated with lower odds of meeting physical activity guidelines in both boys (Adj. OR=0.52, 95% CI=0.38, 0.72) and girls (Adj. OR=0.41, 95% CI=0.25, 0.66). The consistently high proportion of adolescents not meeting physical activity recommendations over time suggests that current efforts to increase physical activity may be failing to have an impact on population-level trends in compliance. While initiatives to improve the built environment may reduce barriers at the environmental level, these initiatives risk having little impact on physical activity if individual level barriers remain unaddressed.


Subject(s)
Exercise/physiology , Leisure Activities , Recreation/physiology , Adolescent , Australia , Child , Computers/statistics & numerical data , Female , Humans , Male , Television/statistics & numerical data , Video Games/statistics & numerical data
20.
Public Health Nutr ; 21(6): 1176-1185, 2018 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29208078

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To explore children's responses to sponsorship of community junior sport by unhealthy food brands and investigate the utility of alternative, pro-health sponsorship options. DESIGN: Between-subjects experiment, with four sponsorship conditions: A, non-food branding (control); B, unhealthy food branding; C, healthier food branding; D, obesity prevention campaign branding. SETTING: Online experiment conducted in schools. Participants were shown a junior sports pack for their favourite sport that contained merchandise with branding representing their assigned sponsorship condition. Participants viewed and rated the sports pack, completed a distractor task, then completed questions assessing brand awareness, brand attitudes and preference for food sponsors' products. SUBJECTS: Students in grades 1 to 3 (aged 5-10 years; n 1124) from schools in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia. RESULTS: Compared with the control condition, there were no significant effects of unhealthy food branding on awareness of, attitudes towards or preference for these brands. Exposure to healthier food branding prompted a significant increase in the proportion of children aware of these brands, but did not impact attitudes towards or preference for these brands. Exposure to either healthier food branding or obesity prevention campaign branding prompted a significant reduction in the proportion of children showing a preference for unhealthy food sponsor products. CONCLUSIONS: The sponsorship of children's sport by healthier food brands may promote awareness of these brands and healthier sponsorship branding may reduce preferences for some unhealthy food products. Establishing and implementing healthy sponsor criteria in sports clubs could forge healthier sponsorship arrangements and help phase out unhealthy food and beverage sponsors.


Subject(s)
Consumer Behavior/statistics & numerical data , Food Industry , Marketing , Sports , Attitude , Child , Child, Preschool , Choice Behavior , Feeding Behavior , Female , Health Behavior , Humans , Male
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