An audit of food and beverage advertising on the Sydney metropolitan train network: regulation and policy implications

Abstract

BackgroundIncreased marketing of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods has been identified as a driver of the global obesity epidemic and a priority area for preventative efforts. Local and international research has focused on the unhealthiness of television advertising, with limited research into the growing outdoor advertising industry. This study aimed to examine the extent of food and beverage advertising on the Sydney metropolitan train network, and to assess the nutritional quality of advertised products against the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating.MethodsAll 178 train stations on the Sydney metropolitan train network were surveyed in summer and winter. A survey tool was developed to collect information for all advertisements on and immediately surrounding the train station. Information included product, brand, location and advertisement format. Advertisements were coded by nutrition category, product subcategory and size. Chi-square, ANOVA and ANCOVA tests were conducted to test for differences in the amount of food and beverage advertising by season and area socioeconomic status (SES).ResultsOf 6931 advertisements identified, 1915 (27.6%) were promoting a food or beverage. The majority of food and beverage advertisements were for unhealthy products; 84.3% were classified as discretionary, 8.0% core and 7.6% miscellaneous. Snack foods and sugar-sweetened beverages were the most frequently advertised products, regardless of season. Coca-Cola and PepsiCo were the largest advertisers on the network, contributing 10.9% and 6.5% of total advertisements respectively. There was no difference in the mean number of food and beverage advertisements by area SES, but the proportion of advertising that was for discretionary foods was highest in low SES areas (41.9%, p < 0.001).ConclusionsThe results indicate that, irrespective of season, food and beverage advertisements across the Sydney metropolitan train network are overwhelmingly for unhealthy (discretionary) products. The results of this study highlight the inadequacy of Australia’s voluntary self-regulatory system in protecting members of the public from exposure to unhealthy food advertising. Regulatory action by government, such as placing a cap on the amount of unhealthy food advertisements, or requiring a proportion of all advertising to be for the promotion of healthy foods, is required to address this issue.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-017-4433-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The volume and type of unhealthy bus shelter advertising around schools in Perth, Western Australia: Results from an explorative study

“…All five areas which were included in the study ranked in the tenth decile of socio‐economic advantage for Western Australia. A previous audit of food and beverage advertising at Sydney train stations found while there was no difference in the number of food and beverage advertisements between stations in different socio‐economic areas, the proportion of total advertisements that were for unhealthy foods and beverages was significantly higher in lower socio‐economic areas, consistent with previous research.…”

“…7 Previous Australian research examining advertising on public transit stops has identified that a high volume of advertisements promote unhealthy products. [8][9][10] An audit of train station advertisements in Sydney during summer and winter found snack foods and sugar-sweetened beverages were the most frequently advertised products, regardless of season. 8 An audit of bus shelter advertisements in Perth found nearly a quarter were for alcohol products.…”

“…[8][9][10] An audit of train station advertisements in Sydney during summer and winter found snack foods and sugar-sweetened beverages were the most frequently advertised products, regardless of season. 8 An audit of bus shelter advertisements in Perth found nearly a quarter were for alcohol products. 10 Research investigating unhealthy advertising on public transit stops around schools is limited.…”

In their own words: A qualitative study exploring influences on the food choices of university students

“…Our participants reinforced the findings of Ansari et al indicating the need for healthy food choices to be made more affordable particularly for those living away from home to encourage healthy eating. Other strategies such as limiting advertising of energy dense foods, limiting access to unhealthy convenience foods, introducing a sugar tax and improving cooking skills may also support healthy eating. Further research focused on emerging adults is needed to assist in developing a comprehensive approach to address the issues identified by this cohort in order to positively influence their food choices.…”

Percepção sobre mídia e comportamento na compra de alimentos: estudo com consumidores de dois municípios do sul de Minas Gerais

“…Evidenciou-se que a publicidade destes produtos aumentou a ingestão de alimentos de maior densidade energética e nutricionalmente desbalanceados, além de interferir nas preferências alimentares durante ou logo depois à exposição aos anúncios (Sadeghirad et al, 2016). Na Austrália, Sainsbury et al (2017) relataram que a publicidade de alimentos nas estações de trem do país se referia, basicamente, a alimentos processados não saudáveis, destinadas ao público em geral, de diferentes faixas etárias. Os autores ressaltaram, neste caso, a inadequação dos sistemas de autorregulamentação em proteger o público da exposição a este tipo de publicidade.…”