The marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages contributes to childhood obesity. In Canada and the United States, these promotions are self-regulated by industry. However, these regulations do not apply to movie theatres, which are frequently visited by children. This pilot study examined the frequency and healthfulness of food advertising in movie theatres in the United States and Canada. A convenience sample of seven movie theatres in both Virginia (US) and Ontario (Canada) were visited once per month for a four-month period. Each month, ads in the movie theatre environment and before the screening of children’s movies were assessed. Food ads were categorized as permissible or not permissible for marketing to children using the World Health Organization’s European Nutrient Profile Model. There were 1999 food ads in the movie theatre environment in Ontario and 43 food ads identified in the movie theatre environment in Virginia. On average, 8.6 (SD = 3.3) and 2.2 (SD = 0.9) food ads were displayed before children’s movies in Ontario and Virginia, respectively. Most or all (97–100%) food ads identified in Virginia and Ontario were considered not permissible for marketing to children. The results suggest that movie theatre environments should be considered for inclusion in statutory food marketing restrictions in order to protect children’s health.
Introduction Unhealthy food and beverage marketing in various media and settings contributes to children’s poor dietary intake. In 2019, the Canadian federal government recommended the introduction of new restrictions on food marketing to children. This scoping review aimed to provide an up-to-date assessment of the frequency of food marketing to children and youth in Canada as well as children’s exposure to this marketing in various media and settings in order to determine where gaps exist in the research. Methods For this scoping review, detailed search strategies were used to identify relevant peer-reviewed and grey literature published between October 2016 and November 2021. Two reviewers screened all results. Results A total of 32 relevant and unique articles were identified; 28 were peer reviewed and 4 were from the grey literature. The majority of the studies (n = 26) examined the frequency of food marketing while 6 examined actual exposure to food marketing. Most research focussed on children from Ontario and Quebec and television and digital media. There was little research exploring food marketing to children by age, geographical location, sex/gender, race/ethnicity and/or socioeconomic status. Conclusion Our synthesis suggests that unhealthy food marketing to children and adolescents is extensive and that current self-regulatory policies are insufficient at reducing the presence of such marketing. Research assessing the frequency of food marketing and preschooler, child and adolescent exposure to this marketing is needed across a variety of media and settings to inform future government policies.
Introduction Le marketing des boissons et des aliments malsains dans différents médias et différents contextes contribue à la mauvaise alimentation des enfants. En 2019, le gouvernement du Canada a recommandé l’introduction de nouvelles restrictions sur le marketing alimentaire auprès des enfants. Cet examen de la portée vise à fournir une évaluation à jour de la fréquence du marketing alimentaire auprès des enfants et des jeunes au Canada, ainsi que de l’exposition des enfants à ce type de marketing dans différents médias et différents contextes afin de cerner les lacunes dans la recherche. Méthodologie Pour cet examen de la portée, nous avons utilisé plusieurs stratégies de recherche pour recenser les travaux pertinents issus de la littérature grise et de la littérature évaluée par les pairs publiés entre octobre 2016 et novembre 2021. Deux examinateurs ont passé en revue l’ensemble des résultats. Résultats Au total, 32 articles pertinents ont été recensés : 28 publications évaluées par les pairs et 4 articles provenant de la littérature grise. La majorité des études (n = 26) portaient sur la fréquence du marketing alimentaire et 6 études s’intéressaient à l’exposition réelle au marketing alimentaire. La plupart des travaux étaient axés sur les enfants de l’Ontario et du Québec ainsi que sur la télévision et les médias numériques. Peu de recherches ont été menées sur le marketing alimentaire auprès des enfants en fonction de l’âge, de la situation géographique, du sexe/genre, du groupe ethnique ou du statut socioéconomique. Conclusion Selon les résultats de notre synthèse, le marketing des aliments malsains auprès des enfants et des adolescents est très répandu et les politiques d’autoréglementation actuelles sont insuffisantes pour réduire la présence de ce type de marketing. Des recherches évaluant la fréquence du marketing alimentaire et l’exposition des enfants d’âge préscolaire, des enfants et des adolescents à ce type de marketing doivent être menées dans différents médias et différents contextes pour orienter les futures politiques gouvernementales.
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