The extent and nature of television food advertising to children in Xi’an, China
Abstract Background To explore the extent and nature of television food advertising especially unhealthy food advertising to primary school children in Xi’an, China. Methods Television data were recorded for 2 weekdays and 2 weekend days between 6:00 and 22:00 during May and June in 2012 from a tota...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2016-08-01
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| Series: | BMC Public Health |
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| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-016-3468-0 |
| _version_ | 1811192129010008064 |
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| author | Danyang Li Ting Wang Yue Cheng Min Zhang Xue Yang Zhonghai Zhu Danli Liu Wenfang Yang Lingxia Zeng |
| author_facet | Danyang Li Ting Wang Yue Cheng Min Zhang Xue Yang Zhonghai Zhu Danli Liu Wenfang Yang Lingxia Zeng |
| author_sort | Danyang Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background To explore the extent and nature of television food advertising especially unhealthy food advertising to primary school children in Xi’an, China. Methods Television data were recorded for 2 weekdays and 2 weekend days between 6:00 and 22:00 during May and June in 2012 from a total of five television channels most popular with children in Xi’an. Pearson χ2 tests and logistic regression were applied to determine differences in the proportion of healthy food, unhealthy food and miscellaneous food advertisements for different channels, programs, dates, viewing periods and the use of persuasive marketing tactics. Results Of the 5527 advertisements transcribed, 25.5 % were for food, among which 48.1 % were considered to be unhealthy. The frequency of food advertisements was 6 per hour per channel, including 3 unhealthy food advertisements. Compared with healthy and miscellaneous food advertisements, more unhealthy food advertisements were shown during afternoon, weekends and children’s non-peak viewing times as well as on children’s television channels, central television channels and non-children’s programmes. Unhealthy foods contributed the highest proportion of all food advertisements containing promotional characters (51.7 %) and premium offers (59.1 %). Both promotional characters and premium offers appeared more on non-children’s television channels. Conclusions The majority of food advertisements were for unhealthy food. More unhealthy food ads were shown in children’s non-peak time and afternoon as well as non-children’s channels. More children-oriented persuasive marketing tactics were used in unhealthy food ads especially in non-children’s channels. Therefore, intervening in the entrance of unhealthy foods into the market and establishing regulations related to food advertising especially unhealthy food advertisements are important strategies to prevent children’s exposure to unhealthy food and childhood obesity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T23:46:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-703799a45a3e472eaaf627b7cd2b8d20 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T23:46:39Z |
| publishDate | 2016-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-703799a45a3e472eaaf627b7cd2b8d202022-12-22T03:56:37ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582016-08-011611910.1186/s12889-016-3468-0The extent and nature of television food advertising to children in Xi’an, ChinaDanyang Li0Ting Wang1Yue Cheng2Min Zhang3Xue Yang4Zhonghai Zhu5Danli Liu6Wenfang Yang7Lingxia Zeng8Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science CenterCardio-cerebrovascular Diseases Hospital of Ningxia Medical UniversityDepartment of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science CenterDepartment of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science CenterDepartment of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science CenterDepartment of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science CenterDepartment of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science CenterThe First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong UniversityDepartment of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science CenterAbstract Background To explore the extent and nature of television food advertising especially unhealthy food advertising to primary school children in Xi’an, China. Methods Television data were recorded for 2 weekdays and 2 weekend days between 6:00 and 22:00 during May and June in 2012 from a total of five television channels most popular with children in Xi’an. Pearson χ2 tests and logistic regression were applied to determine differences in the proportion of healthy food, unhealthy food and miscellaneous food advertisements for different channels, programs, dates, viewing periods and the use of persuasive marketing tactics. Results Of the 5527 advertisements transcribed, 25.5 % were for food, among which 48.1 % were considered to be unhealthy. The frequency of food advertisements was 6 per hour per channel, including 3 unhealthy food advertisements. Compared with healthy and miscellaneous food advertisements, more unhealthy food advertisements were shown during afternoon, weekends and children’s non-peak viewing times as well as on children’s television channels, central television channels and non-children’s programmes. Unhealthy foods contributed the highest proportion of all food advertisements containing promotional characters (51.7 %) and premium offers (59.1 %). Both promotional characters and premium offers appeared more on non-children’s television channels. Conclusions The majority of food advertisements were for unhealthy food. More unhealthy food ads were shown in children’s non-peak time and afternoon as well as non-children’s channels. More children-oriented persuasive marketing tactics were used in unhealthy food ads especially in non-children’s channels. Therefore, intervening in the entrance of unhealthy foods into the market and establishing regulations related to food advertising especially unhealthy food advertisements are important strategies to prevent children’s exposure to unhealthy food and childhood obesity.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-016-3468-0Children obesityFood advertisingFood promotionCore food |
| spellingShingle | Danyang Li Ting Wang Yue Cheng Min Zhang Xue Yang Zhonghai Zhu Danli Liu Wenfang Yang Lingxia Zeng The extent and nature of television food advertising to children in Xi’an, China BMC Public Health Children obesity Food advertising Food promotion Core food |
| title | The extent and nature of television food advertising to children in Xi’an, China |
| title_full | The extent and nature of television food advertising to children in Xi’an, China |
| title_fullStr | The extent and nature of television food advertising to children in Xi’an, China |
| title_full_unstemmed | The extent and nature of television food advertising to children in Xi’an, China |
| title_short | The extent and nature of television food advertising to children in Xi’an, China |
| title_sort | extent and nature of television food advertising to children in xi an china |
| topic | Children obesity Food advertising Food promotion Core food |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-016-3468-0 |
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