School-Level Socioeconomic Status and Nutrient Content of Outdoor Food/Beverage Advertisements

Abstract

We examined if areas around schools with more students of lower socioeconomic status (SES) have more total food/beverage advertisements and/or more advertisements with poorer nutritional content as compared to areas around schools with fewer students with lower SES. All outdoor food/beverage advertisements within a half-mile radius of 47 middle and high schools in the United States were objectively documented in 2012 and coded for nutritional content. The total number of advertisements and the macronutrient and micronutrient contents (total calories, fat (g), protein (g), carbohydrate (g), sugar (g), and sodium (mg)) of food and beverage items depicted in the advertisements were calculated. In total, 9132 unique advertisements were recorded, with 3153 ads displaying food and beverages that could be coded for nutrient content. Schools located in areas of lower SES (≥60% students receiving free/reduced-price lunch) had significantly more advertisements displaying food and beverages that could be coded for nutrient content (z = 2.01, p = 0.04), as well as advertisements that contained more sodium (z = 2.20, p = 0.03), as compared to schools located in areas of higher SES. There were no differences in calorie, fat, protein, carbohydrate, or sugar content. Policies to reduce the prevalence of outdoor food and beverage advertising are warranted.

Comparing the number of outdoor sugar-sweetened beverage and caffeinated beverage advertisements near schools by school type and school-level economic advantage

“…Research consistently shows disparities in unhealthy food and beverage advertising exposure by SES [ 32 ]. Previous research has found that neighborhood-level income demographics are also associated with the outdoor food and beverage advertising environment, with lower-income areas consistently having higher densities of food and beverage marketing than higher-income areas [ 33 – 37 ]. However, few have specifically examined if this economic disparity in advertising applies to school environments [ 37 ], nor if the types of beverages advertised vary by neighborhood income level.…”