Niškanović Jelena, Stojisavljević Dragana, Muc Magdalena, Tatlow-Golden Mimi, Manigoda Dijana
Public Health Institute of the Republic of Srpska, Jovana Ducica 1, Banja Luka, 78 000, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Faculty of Medicine, University of Banja Luka, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
J Health Popul Nutr. 2025 Jul 15;44(1):257. doi: 10.1186/s41043-025-01009-8.
Monitoring food marketing that reaches children is key to effective implementation of any regulation. The Best-ReMaP European Union Joint Action aimed to test the feasibility of using monitoring protocols (developed by the World Health Organization's Regional Office for Europe [WHO-Euro]) in the public health sector, to inform EU-wide monitoring plans. In Republic of Srpska, BiH, we piloted the WHO 'CLICK' Framework step, 'L - Landscape of campaigns', created to assess the nature of digital food and beverage marketing that children are potentially exposed to when using their preferred digital media.
This mixed methods pilot study analysed 235 Instagram and Facebook posts from 10 brands/products popular among children in Republic of Srpska, and 24 videos of two YouTube influencers, between January-April 2023. The WHO Nutrient Profile Model (1st edition, 2015) was used to assess ads' eligibility to be marketed to children. With WHO-Euro monitoring Protocols we assessed the promotional techniques (ad's creative power) used by brands and YouTube influencers. Finally, we assessed feasibility at every step of the process.
Research capacity and coding were among the main identified challenges in the pilot. Our learnings contributed to updates of the WHO Protocols and the EU- framework guidance. Regarding the food marketing landscape, the most frequently advertised food categories on social media and in YouTube Influencers' content were cakes, sweet biscuits and pastries (31% and 22.7% respectively) and chocolate and sugar confectionery (27.5% and 14.7% respectively). None of the social media ads were eligible to be marketed to children and only of 2 of the 24 YouTube influencers' marketing instances were eligible. Most ads featured elements potentially appealing to teens, 88% on Facebook and 72% on Instagram. The most frequently used persuasive appeals on social media were reference to holidays, travel, or adventure (23%), followed by taste (12.5%) and premium/contest (11.5%). YouTube influencers predominantly presented branded foods (62.5%). Only one influencer video featured a marketing disclosure. Food cue contexts varied between the two influencers, depending on their target groups. One mostly posted videos filmed at home, with child appeals and referred positively to the food featured; the other presented food as a secondary object and in neutral rather than positive contexts.
The WHO-Euro 'landscape' Protocol is a feasible tool for Member States to evaluate digital food marketing. Facilitators were: capacity/resources, access to a knowledge/experience exchange, and regular protocol updates. The analysis shows that in Republic of Srpska, BiH, powerful marketing of unhealthy foods appealing to children takes place on children's favoured social media platforms and via influencers with child-appealing content. Mandatory, government-led restrictions, accompanied by regular monitoring are needed to protect children's health.
监测面向儿童的食品营销是有效实施任何监管措施的关键。欧盟“最佳再映射”联合行动旨在测试在公共卫生部门使用（由世界卫生组织欧洲区域办事处[世卫组织欧洲办事处]制定的）监测方案的可行性，以为全欧盟范围的监测计划提供信息。在波斯尼亚和黑塞哥维那的斯普斯卡共和国，我们对世卫组织“CLICK”框架步骤“L - 营销活动全景”进行了试点，该步骤旨在评估儿童在使用其偏好的数字媒体时可能接触到的数字食品和饮料营销的性质。
这项混合方法试点研究分析了2023年1月至4月期间来自斯普斯卡共和国10个受儿童欢迎的品牌/产品的235条Instagram和Facebook帖子，以及两位YouTube有影响力人士的24个视频。使用世卫组织营养成分模型（2015年第1版）评估广告是否适合向儿童营销。根据世卫组织欧洲办事处的监测方案，我们评估了品牌和YouTube有影响力人士使用的促销技巧（广告的创意力量）。最后，我们在该过程的每个步骤评估了可行性。
研究能力和编码是试点中确定的主要挑战。我们的经验教训促成了世卫组织方案和欧盟框架指南的更新。关于食品营销全景，社交媒体和YouTube有影响力人士的内容中最常宣传的食品类别是蛋糕、甜饼干和糕点（分别为31%和22.7%）以及巧克力和糖果（分别为27.5%和14.7%）。没有一条社交媒体广告适合向儿童营销，24个YouTube有影响力人士的营销实例中只有2个符合条件。大多数广告具有可能吸引青少年的元素，Facebook上为88%，Instagram上为72%。社交媒体上最常用的有说服力的诉求是提及假期、旅行或冒险（23%），其次是口味（12.5%）和优质/竞赛（11.5%）。YouTube有影响力人士主要展示品牌食品（62.5%）。只有一个有影响力人士的视频有营销披露。两位有影响力人士的食品提示背景因目标群体而异。一位主要发布在家中拍摄的视频，带有儿童吸引力并对所展示的食品给予积极评价；另一位将食品作为次要对象呈现，且处于中性而非积极的背景中。
世卫组织欧洲办事处的“全景”方案是成员国评估数字食品营销的可行工具。促进因素包括：能力/资源、知识/经验交流机会以及定期更新方案。分析表明，在波斯尼亚和黑塞哥维那斯普斯卡共和国，不健康食品在儿童喜爱的社交媒体平台上以及通过具有儿童吸引力内容的有影响力人士进行着吸引儿童的强力营销。需要政府主导的强制性限制措施，并辅以定期监测，以保护儿童健康。
