The Nutritional Profile of Food Advertising for School-Aged Children via Television: A Longitudinal Approach

Abstract

The prevalence of childhood obesity continues to increase. Screen time, one of the most documented reasons for the obesogenic environment, enhances childhood obesity, since advertisements for unhealthy food products are still broadcast on channels for children. This is presently one of the main challenges for the government in Spain, since the current laws and obligations are not updated. This study aims to analyze food advertising aimed at children on Spanish television in 2013 and 2018 on children’s and general channels to test the effect of laws and obligations over time. In total, we viewed 512 h of the most viewed channels, two children’s and two general channels, during the week and on weekends during specific periods of 2013 and 2018. Food advertising was categorized as core, non-core, and other food advertisement (CFA, NCFA, and OFA, respectively) according to the nutritional profile. A total of 2935 adverts were analyzed, 1263 in 2013 and 1672 in 2018. A higher proportion of NCFAs were broadcast on children’s channels than in prior years, rising from 52.2% to 69.8% (p < 0.001). Nowadays, the risk of watching NCFAs on children’s channels compared to general channels turns out to be higher (Odds ratio > 2.5; p < 0.001), due to exposure to adverts for high-sugar and high-fat foods such as cakes, muffins, cookies, and fried and frozen meals rich in fat. In conclusion, the trends of nutritional profiles in food advertising on television are worsening over time, since the prevalence of NCFAs was higher in 2018 than in 2013. Currently, CFAs are not mainly broadcast on children’s channels, confirming high-risk exposure to non-core food advertising by watching them. Thus, food advertising laws and obligations should be adapted to increase compliance.

Content Analysis of Food Advertisements on TV Channels in Turkey

“…In Spain, a public health law aimed at protecting children against advertisements for unhealthy food was passed in 2011. Campos et al (22) analyzed food advertising aimed at children on Spanish television in 2013 and 2018 to test the effect of law over time and they determined that the trends of nutritional profiles in food advertising on television are worsening over time and the prevalence of unhealthy food ads was higher in 2018 than in 2013. As a result, the necessity of improving laws and increasing compliance with them was emphasized.…”

A influência das mídias eletrônicas na construção dos hábitos alimentares na infância: um panorama do comportamento alimentar infantil na era digital e no contexto familiar

“…A televisão é considerada um relevante veículo de comunicação e civilização, além disso ela pode operar como colaborativa no método de construção do comportamento coletivo. Hoje em dia, as crianças em idade escolar ficam muito tempo em frente a televisão, principalmente aos finais de semana (Campos et al, 2020).…”

“…O comportamento humano é em parte determinado pelo desdobramento emocional. Portanto, o tempo de exposição e a regularidade com que as crianças visualizam os anúncios sobre alimentos insalubres, influencia na decisão de consumo (Campos et al, 2020). Diante disso, o desejo de consumo de alimento não saudáveis é maior porque são mais inerentemente gratificantes, levando em consideração as respostas fisiológicas inconscientes do organismo (aumento da salivação e incremento cerebrais dos sistemas de recompensa) e processos psicológicos do gostar e desejar (Folkvord et al, 2021).…”

“…Em resumo, estudos de coorte de longo prazo evidenciaram que mais horas frente à televisão na infância conseguem favorecer o ganho de peso e obesidade na fase adulta (Smith et al, 2019). Portanto, crianças em cujas rotinas são inseridos níveis elevados de atividades físicas, baixo índice de exposição à telas associados a uma rotina alimentar adequada, apontam baixo risco de se tornarem obesos quando adultos (Campos et al, 2020).…”