Buchanan Limin, Kelly Bridget, Yeatman Heather
Early Start Research Institute, School of Health and Society, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.
PLoS One. 2017 Feb 2;12(2):e0171226. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0171226. eCollection 2017.
Young adults experience faster weight gain and consume more unhealthy food than any other age groups. The impact of online food marketing on "digital native" young adults is unclear. This study examined the effects of online marketing on young adults' consumption behaviours, using energy drinks as a case example. The elaboration likelihood model of persuasion was used as the theoretical basis. A pre-test post-test experimental research design was adopted using mixed-methods. Participants (aged 18-24) were randomly assigned to control or experimental groups (N = 30 each). Experimental group participants' attitudes towards and intended purchase and consumption of energy drinks were examined via surveys and semi-structured interviews after their exposure to two popular energy drink brands' websites and social media sites (exposure time 8 minutes). Exposure to digital marketing contents of energy drinks improved the experimental group participants' attitudes towards and purchase and consumption intention of energy drinks. This study indicates the influential power of unhealthy online marketing on cognitively mature young adults. This study draws public health attentions to young adults, who to date have been less of a focus of researchers but are influenced by online food advertising.
与其他任何年龄组相比，年轻人的体重增加更快，且食用更多不健康食品。网络食品营销对 “数字原生代” 年轻人的影响尚不清楚。本研究以能量饮料为例，考察了网络营销对年轻人消费行为的影响。研究采用说服的详尽可能性模型作为理论基础。采用了前测后测实验研究设计，并运用了混合研究方法。参与者（年龄在18 - 24岁之间）被随机分为对照组和实验组（每组N = 30）。实验组参与者在浏览了两个流行能量饮料品牌的网站和社交媒体网站（浏览时间8分钟）后，通过调查和半结构化访谈来考察他们对能量饮料的态度以及购买和消费意愿。接触能量饮料的数字营销内容提高了实验组参与者对能量饮料的态度以及购买和消费意愿。本研究表明了不健康的网络营销对认知成熟的年轻人的影响力。本研究引起了公共卫生领域对年轻人的关注，迄今为止，年轻人较少受到研究人员的关注，但却受到网络食品广告的影响。
