Child-directed marketing on packaged breakfast cereals in South Africa
Abstract Objective: Childhood obesity is on the rise in South Africa (SA), and child-directed marketing (CDM) is one of the contributing factors to children’s unhealthy food choices. This study assessed CDM on packaged breakfast cereals available in SA supermarkets and their nutritional quality....
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Public Health Nutrition |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1368980023001507/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1797670887254654976 |
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| author | Alice S Khan Tamryn Frank Rina Elizabeth Swart |
| author_facet | Alice S Khan Tamryn Frank Rina Elizabeth Swart |
| author_sort | Alice S Khan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Abstract
Objective:
Childhood obesity is on the rise in South Africa (SA), and child-directed marketing (CDM) is one of the contributing factors to children’s unhealthy food choices. This study assessed CDM on packaged breakfast cereals available in SA supermarkets and their nutritional quality.
Design:
Photographic images were examined in a descriptive quantitative study. A codebook of definitions of CDM was developed for this purpose. REDCap, an online research database, was used for data capturing, and SPSS was used for data analyses including cross-tabulations and one-way ANOVA.
Setting:
The current study was set in the Western Cape province of SA.
Subjects:
Photographic images of all packaged breakfast cereals sold in major retailers in the Western Cape province of SA in 2019 were studied.
Results:
CDM strategies were classified as direct (to the child) or indirect (through the parent). A total of 222 breakfast cereals were studied, of which 96·9 % had a nutritional or health claim, 95·0 % had illustrations, 75·2 % had product and consumption appeals, 10·8 % had characters, 10·8 % consisted of different appeals, 8·6 % alluded to fantasy and 7·7 % had role models. In breakfast cereals with direct CDM, the protein and fibre content was significantly lower than in breakfast cereals without direct CDM. This study found a significantly higher total carbohydrate and total sugar content in breakfast cereals with direct CDM than those without direct CDM.
Conclusion:
CDM was highly prevalent in breakfast cereals sold in SA. Regulations to curb the marketing of packaged foods high in nutrients of concern is recommended.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T21:07:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ddfd7fcb8c1846d79f0faa3deb47666d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1368-9800 1475-2727 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T21:07:20Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Public Health Nutrition |
| spelling | doaj.art-ddfd7fcb8c1846d79f0faa3deb47666d2023-09-29T12:32:57ZengCambridge University PressPublic Health Nutrition1368-98001475-27272023-10-01262139214810.1017/S1368980023001507Child-directed marketing on packaged breakfast cereals in South AfricaAlice S Khan0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1011-3693Tamryn Frank1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5180-9171Rina Elizabeth Swart2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7786-3117Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, University of the Western Cape, Robert Sobukwe Road, Belville, 7535 Cape Town, South AfricaSchool of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, Robert Sobukwe Road, Belville, 7535 Cape Town, South AfricaDepartment of Dietetics and Nutrition, University of the Western Cape, Robert Sobukwe Road, Belville, 7535 Cape Town, South Africa Abstract Objective: Childhood obesity is on the rise in South Africa (SA), and child-directed marketing (CDM) is one of the contributing factors to children’s unhealthy food choices. This study assessed CDM on packaged breakfast cereals available in SA supermarkets and their nutritional quality. Design: Photographic images were examined in a descriptive quantitative study. A codebook of definitions of CDM was developed for this purpose. REDCap, an online research database, was used for data capturing, and SPSS was used for data analyses including cross-tabulations and one-way ANOVA. Setting: The current study was set in the Western Cape province of SA. Subjects: Photographic images of all packaged breakfast cereals sold in major retailers in the Western Cape province of SA in 2019 were studied. Results: CDM strategies were classified as direct (to the child) or indirect (through the parent). A total of 222 breakfast cereals were studied, of which 96·9 % had a nutritional or health claim, 95·0 % had illustrations, 75·2 % had product and consumption appeals, 10·8 % had characters, 10·8 % consisted of different appeals, 8·6 % alluded to fantasy and 7·7 % had role models. In breakfast cereals with direct CDM, the protein and fibre content was significantly lower than in breakfast cereals without direct CDM. This study found a significantly higher total carbohydrate and total sugar content in breakfast cereals with direct CDM than those without direct CDM. Conclusion: CDM was highly prevalent in breakfast cereals sold in SA. Regulations to curb the marketing of packaged foods high in nutrients of concern is recommended. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1368980023001507/type/journal_articleChild-directed marketingDirect and indirect CDMBreakfast cerealsSouth Africa |
| spellingShingle | Alice S Khan Tamryn Frank Rina Elizabeth Swart Child-directed marketing on packaged breakfast cereals in South Africa Public Health Nutrition Child-directed marketing Direct and indirect CDM Breakfast cereals South Africa |
| title | Child-directed marketing on packaged breakfast cereals in South Africa |
| title_full | Child-directed marketing on packaged breakfast cereals in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Child-directed marketing on packaged breakfast cereals in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Child-directed marketing on packaged breakfast cereals in South Africa |
| title_short | Child-directed marketing on packaged breakfast cereals in South Africa |
| title_sort | child directed marketing on packaged breakfast cereals in south africa |
| topic | Child-directed marketing Direct and indirect CDM Breakfast cereals South Africa |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1368980023001507/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT aliceskhan childdirectedmarketingonpackagedbreakfastcerealsinsouthafrica AT tamrynfrank childdirectedmarketingonpackagedbreakfastcerealsinsouthafrica AT rinaelizabethswart childdirectedmarketingonpackagedbreakfastcerealsinsouthafrica |