Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37118718›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2023

Supermarket promotions in Western Sweden are incompatible with Nordic dietary recommendations and differ by area-level socioeconomic index.

Melissa Mjöberg, Lauren Lissner, Monica Hunsberger

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Article in BMC public health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Melissa MjöbergSchool of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. melissa.mjoberg@gu.se.
Lauren LissnerSchool of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Monica HunsbergerSchool of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLarge supermarket chains produce weekly advertisements to promote foods and influence consumer purchases. The broad consumer reach of these ads presents an opportunity to promote foods that align with dietary recommendations. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the health quality of supermarkets' weekly food promotions in a large region of Sweden with attention to more and less advantaged socioeconomic index areas.

methodsAnalysis of weekly advertisements from 122 individual stores, representing seven chains, was carried out in a large region of Sweden from 2-29 March in 2020. Food promotions were divided into categories according to the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations and World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe's nutrient profile model, and defined as 'most healthy', 'healthy', 'unhealthy' and 'most unhealthy'. A mean socioeconomic index was used to classify each store location to determine whether proportions of the 'most unhealthy' foods differed between more advantaged and more disadvantaged socioeconomic index areas.

resultsIn total, 29,958 food items were analyzed. Two-thirds of promotions belonged to the food groups considered 'most unhealthy' and 'unhealthy'. In the 'most unhealthy' food group 'sugar-rich beverages and foods' constituted approximately 23.0% of the promotions. Food promotions had 25% increased odds to be from the 'most unhealthy' group (odds ratio 1.25, confidence interval 1.17, 1.33) in more disadvantaged socioeconomic index areas. This association could be explained by the supermarket chain the stores belonged to.

conclusionsOur findings indicate that Swedish supermarkets promote a large proportion of unhealthy foods as classified by the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations. We also observe that certain national supermarket chains tend to locate their stores in more disadvantaged areas and promote a greater proportion of unhealthy foods in their weekly advertisements compared to the more advantaged areas. There is an urgent need for supermarkets to shift promotions toward healthier food items.

Indexed as

DietFood MarketsCommerceFoodHumansSocioeconomic FactorsSwedenFood advertisingFood environmentHealthy dietNutrition guidelinesSocioeconomic areaSupermarketSweden

Identifiers

PMID37118718
PMCPMC10148457

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