Child-targeted fast-food television advertising exposure is linked with fast-food intake among pre-school children

Bibliographic Data

ID15097057
AuthorsMadeline A Dalton (0000-0003-4946-8862, Center for Children), Meghan R Longacre (0000-0002-8230-1741, Center for Children, corresponding author), Keith M Drake (0000-0003-3174-4566, Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice), Lauren P Cleveland (0000-0003-3532-274X, Center for Children), Jennifer L Harris (0000-0002-2155-3021, University of Connecticut), Kristy Hendricks (Center for Children), Linda J Titus (0000-0002-0599-3924, Dartmouth College)
Year2017
Volume20
Issue9
Pages1548-1556
Publication date2017-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePublic Health Nutrition (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1368-9800 • E-ISSN: 1475-2727
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s1368980017000520
PMID28416041
OpenAlexW2605729785
LanguageEN
Citations received17
References cited47

Objective To determine whether exposure to child-targeted fast-food (FF) television (TV) advertising is associated with children’s FF intake in a non-experimental setting. Design Cross-sectional survey conducted April–December 2013. Parents reported their pre-school child’s TV viewing time, channels watched and past-week FF consumption. Responses were combined with a list of FF commercials (ads) aired on children’s TV channels during the same period to calculate children’s exposure to child-targeted TV ads for the following chain FF restaurants: McDonald’s, Subway and Wendy’s (MSW). Setting Paediatric and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) clinics in New Hampshire, USA. Subjects Parents ( n 548) with a child of pre-school age. Results Children’s mean age was 4·4 years; 43·2 % ate MSW in the past week. Among the 40·8 % exposed to MSW ads, 23·3 % had low, 34·2 % moderate and 42·5 % high exposure. McDonald’s accounted for over 70 % of children’s MSW ad exposure and consumption. Children’s MSW consumption was significantly associated with their ad exposure, but not overall TV viewing time. After adjusting for demographics, socio-economic status and other screen time, moderate MSW ad exposure was associated with a 31 % (95 % CI 1·12, 1·53) increase and high MSW ad exposure with a 26 % (95 % CI 1·13, 1·41) increase in the likelihood of consuming MSW in the past week. Further adjustment for parent FF consumption did not change the findings substantially. Conclusions Exposure to child-targeted FF TV advertising is positively associated with FF consumption among children of pre-school age, highlighting the vulnerability of young children to persuasive advertising and supporting recommendations to limit child-directed FF marketing

Advertising · Consumption (sociology · Demographics · Environmental health · Consumer Attitudes and Food Labeling · Demography · Medicine · Mobile Health and mHealth Applications · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet · Pediatrics

Tools

Open DOISci-HubOpen Access