Watson Wendy, Weber Marianne, Hughes Clare, Wellard Lyndal, Chapman Kathryn
Cancer Council New South Wales, Sydney, Australia;
Cancer Council New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; School of Public Health, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Public Health Res Pract. 2017 Dec 7;27(5):27341703. doi: 10.17061/phrp27341703.
To investigate community support for government-led policy initiatives to positively influence the food environment, and to identify whether there is a relationship between support for food policy initiatives and awareness of the link between obesity-related lifestyle risk factors and cancer.
An online survey of knowledge of cancer risk factors and attitudes to policy initiatives that influence the food environment was completed by 2474 adults from New South Wales, Australia. The proportion of participants in support of seven food policy initiatives was quantified in relation to awareness of the link between obesity, poor diet, insufficient fruit and vegetable consumption, and physical inactivity with cancer and other health conditions.
Overall, policies that involved taxing unhealthy foods received the least support (41.5%). Support was highest for introducing a colour-coded food labelling system (85.9%), restricting claims being made about the health benefits of foods which are, overall, unhealthy (82.6%), displaying health warning labels on unhealthy foods (78.7%) and banning unhealthy food advertising that targets children (72.6%). Participants who were aware that obesity-related lifestyle factors are related to cancer were significantly more likely to support food policy initiatives than those who were unaware. Only 17.5% of participants were aware that obesity, poor diet, insufficient fruit and vegetable consumption, and physical inactivity are linked to cancer.
There is strong support for all policies related to food labelling and a policy banning unhealthy food advertising to children. Support for food policy initiatives that positively influence the food environment was higher among those who were aware of the link between cancer and obesity-related lifestyle factors than among those who were unaware of this link. Increasing awareness of the link between obesity-related lifestyle factors and cancer could increase community support for food policy initiatives, which, in turn, support the population to maintain a healthy weight.
调查社区对政府主导的旨在积极影响食品环境的政策举措的支持情况，并确定对食品政策举措的支持与对肥胖相关生活方式风险因素和癌症之间联系的认知是否存在关联。
来自澳大利亚新南威尔士州的2474名成年人完成了一项关于癌症风险因素知识以及对影响食品环境的政策举措态度的在线调查。针对肥胖、不良饮食、水果和蔬菜摄入不足以及缺乏身体活动与癌症及其他健康状况之间联系的认知情况，对支持七项食品政策举措的参与者比例进行了量化。
总体而言，对不健康食品征税的政策获得的支持最少（41.5%）。对引入颜色编码食品标签系统的支持率最高（85.9%），对限制总体不健康食品的健康益处宣传的支持率为82.6%，对在不健康食品上展示健康警告标签的支持率为78.7%，对禁止针对儿童的不健康食品广告的支持率为72.6%。知晓肥胖相关生活方式因素与癌症有关的参与者比不知晓的参与者更有可能支持食品政策举措。只有17.5%的参与者知晓肥胖、不良饮食、水果和蔬菜摄入不足以及缺乏身体活动与癌症有关。
对于所有与食品标签相关的政策以及禁止针对儿童的不健康食品广告的政策，存在强烈支持。知晓癌症与肥胖相关生活方式因素之间联系的人群对积极影响食品环境的食品政策举措的支持，高于不知晓此联系的人群。提高对肥胖相关生活方式因素与癌症之间联系的认知，可能会增加社区对食品政策举措的支持，进而有助于民众保持健康体重。
