Potvin Kent Monique, Pauzé Elise, Roy Elisabeth-Anne, de Billy Nicholas, Czoli Christine
School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
Pediatr Obes. 2019 Jun;14(6):e12508. doi: 10.1111/ijpo.12508. Epub 2019 Jan 28.
Unhealthy food marketing is a powerful determinant of unhealthy diets and obesity among children. Although it is known that food marketers target young people on social media, no study has yet quantified children's exposure on these platforms.
To compare the frequency and healthfulness of food marketing seen by children and adolescents on social media apps as well as estimate their weekly exposure.
101 children and adolescents (ages 7-16 years) completed a survey on their media use and were recorded using their two favourite social media apps for 5 minutes each on the mobile device they usually use. Recordings of app use were reviewed to identify food marketing exposures.
Overall, 72% of participants were exposed to food marketing. Of the 215 food marketing exposures identified, most promoted unhealthy products such as fast food (44%) and sugar-sweetened beverages (9%). Adolescents viewed more instances of food marketing, on average, per 10-minute period compared with children (Mean [SD] = 2.6 [2.7] versus 1.4 [2.1], U = 1606, z = 2.94, P = 0.003). It was also estimated that children and adolescents see food marketing 30 and 189 times on average per week on social media apps, respectively.
Statutory regulations restricting unhealthy food marketing to adolescents and children on social media should be considered.
不健康食品营销是导致儿童不健康饮食和肥胖的一个重要因素。尽管已知食品营销商在社交媒体上把年轻人作为目标群体，但尚无研究对儿童在这些平台上接触此类营销的情况进行量化。
比较儿童和青少年在社交媒体应用程序上看到的食品营销的频率和健康程度，并估计他们每周接触的次数。
101名儿童和青少年（7至16岁）完成了一项关于其媒体使用情况的调查，并在他们常用的移动设备上，分别使用两款他们最喜欢的社交媒体应用程序进行5分钟的记录。对应用程序使用记录进行审查，以确定食品营销接触情况。
总体而言，72%的参与者接触过食品营销。在识别出的215次食品营销接触中，大多数宣传的是不健康产品，如快餐（44%）和含糖饮料（9%）。与儿童相比，青少年每10分钟平均看到的食品营销实例更多（均值[标准差]=2.6[2.7]对1.4[2.1]，U=1606，z=2.94，P=0.003）。据估计，儿童和青少年在社交媒体应用程序上平均每周分别看到食品营销30次和189次。
应考虑制定法规，限制在社交媒体上向青少年和儿童进行不健康食品营销。
