Digital marketing of products with poor nutritional quality: a major threat for children and adolescents.

OBJECTIVES: To identify general characteristics, the use of persuasive techniques, and the nutritional quality of Mexican digital marketing of food and beverages/brand with the greatest number of followers and views (Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube) with specific appeal to children/adolescents. STUDY DESIGN: Cross sectional, quantitative, exploratory, and descriptive study. METHODS: Multistep process to select a sample of 46 products with a Mexican website and major audiences on social networks. The energy and nutrient content of the foods and beverages were analyzed with the Pan American Health Organization Nutrient Profile Model. RESULTS: Cola and soft drinks, sweetened juices were the products with the greatest number of followers on Facebook and Twitter (13,321,274 and 1,020,504). Companies used diverse persuasive techniques combining promotional characters (79.1%), incentives (65.1%), and digital techniques (78.3%). Products with excess critical nutrients were most frequently advertised regardless of the type of social network and the marketing techniques used. CONCLUSION: Digital Marketing represents a major threat for children and adolescents in Mexico, and probably all over the world, because of its persuasive techniques, and it shall be regulated.