Digital Food and Beverage Marketing Environments in a National Sample of Middle Schools: Implications for Policy and Practice.

BACKGROUND: One promising approach to influence nutrition behavior is to limit food and beverage marketing to children. Children are a lucrative market and schools may be an effective setting in which to intervene. Studies have shown that marketing in schools is prevalent but little is known about digital marketing (DM) to students in the school setting. METHODS: We used an online survey to assess DM environments in a national sample of middle schools. RESULTS: Our findings demonstrate that students are exposed to marketing through school devices. Gaps in school district, school and classroom policy and practice lead to student exposure to food and beverage marketing. CONCLUSIONS: Our data point to actionable policy and practice change at the school district, individual school, and classroom levels that could help limit unwanted and harmful food and beverage marketing to youth.

Marketing of foods of minimal nutritional value to children in schools.

OBJECTIVE: Despite calls for children to lower their consumption of food high in fat and sugar (FHFS) and food of minimal nutritional value (FMNV), such foods are heavily marketed to and consumed by children. This study provides the first nationally representative survey to measure the nature and extent of marketing activities in American public schools. METHOD: A stratified random sample of 313 U.S. primary school officials reported their schools' participation in marketing activities with corporations that sell FHFS and FMNV for the academic year 2003-2004. They also reported whether their schools would be forced to reduce programs if marketing was prohibited and their attitude toward increased regulation of marketing for FHFS and FMNV. RESULTS: According to school officials, 37.7% of primary schools nationwide participated in fundraising, 31.6% participated in incentive programs, and 16.3% participated in exclusive agreements with a corporation that sells FHFS or FMNV. In addition, 87.5% of school officials reported that their schools would not be forced to reduce programs if marketing was prohibited, and 53.7% supported the increased regulation of FHFS and FMNV marketing. CONCLUSION: American primary schools participate extensively in corporate-sponsored marketing for foods whose high consumption may lead to obesity and its attendant health risks.

School commercialism and adolescent health.

Commercial activities in public schools are examined in light of growing concern over increasing rates of childhood obesity. The work and findings of the Education Policy Studies Laboratory, which documents school commercialism through media references, is detailed. Alongside evidence of increased commercialism, including activities that promote the consumption of unhealthful beverages and foods by students, growing public opposition to such activities also is documented. The argument is made that schoolhouse commercialism is not in the best interests of the health or the education of students.