Department of Health Communication, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Department of Health Communication, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
BMJ Open. 2021 Nov 23;11(11):e050898. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-050898.
Public health institutions have alerted consumers about advertising for dietary supplements with false claims of preventing or treating COVID-19. We quantitatively and qualitatively examined newspaper advertisements for dietary supplements before and after the COVID-19 spread.
Content analysis.
We analysed advertisements for dietary supplements in two major Japanese newspapers in February-July 2019 and February-July 2020. Our analysis covered 2167 advertisements.
The number of advertisements for dietary supplements that claimed to be effective in infection prevention (p=0.009) and improving joint (p=0.002) and digestive functions (p=0.002) significantly increased after the spread of COVID-19 compared with before. Dietary supplements that claimed to be effective in preventing infection were advertised in combination with recommendations for gargling and handwashing. Such terms as 'defence' and 'prevent' were used to promote the preventive effect.
False and misleading claims in advertising for dietary supplements may result in consumer harm, such as overdosing and failure to take preventive behaviour. While the pandemic continues, there will be an increasing need for disseminating accessible information about the appropriate use of dietary supplements, consumer education and warnings to manufacturers.
公共卫生机构已提醒消费者警惕虚假宣传可预防或治疗 COVID-19 的膳食补充剂广告。我们定量和定性地研究了 COVID-19 传播前后的报纸上的膳食补充剂广告。
内容分析。
我们分析了 2019 年 2 月至 7 月和 2020 年 2 月至 7 月两份日本主要报纸上的膳食补充剂广告。我们的分析涵盖了 2167 则广告。
与 COVID-19 传播前相比，声称对预防感染（p=0.009）、改善关节（p=0.002）和消化功能（p=0.002）有效 的膳食补充剂广告数量显著增加。声称可预防感染的膳食补充剂广告与漱口和洗手建议相结合。使用了“防御”和“预防”等术语来宣传其预防效果。
膳食补充剂广告中的虚假和误导性宣传可能会导致消费者受到伤害，例如过量服用和未能采取预防措施。随着大流行的持续，需要不断传播有关膳食补充剂正确使用、消费者教育和对制造商的警告的相关信息。
