ArticleBMC public health2024
Child and adolescent exposure to unhealthy food marketing across digital platforms in Canada.
Article in BMC public health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed.
- Adolescents' spontaneous recall of food and beverage advertisements on digital media: a cross-sectional survey in Montevideo, Uruguay.Public health nutrition · 2025Article
- Article
- Examining Canadian youth's engagement with food companies via digital media.PLOS digital health · 2025Article
- Visual Attention to Food Content on Social Media: An Eye-Tracking Study Among Young Adults.Journal of eye movement research · 2025Article
- The association between exposure to food marketing and dietary intake among youth in six countries.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2025Article
- Restaurant marketing to kids in Canada: associations with restaurant consumption and appealing restaurant advertisement features in a nationally representative sample of Canadian young people aged 9-17 years.Public health nutrition · 2025Article
- Gender-based analysis of adolescent nutrition: diet, lifestyle factors, and socioeconomic influences.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Associations between exposure to digital food marketing and food consumption in adolescence: a cross-sectional study in an emerging country.BMC public health · 2025Article
- The power of product: how food advertising affects children's perceptions of child and non-child targeted food advertising?BMC public health · 2025Article
- Health promotion in the algorithmic age: recognizing the information environment as a determinant of health.Health promotion international · 2025Article
- Digital Marketing of Unhealthy Foods and Non-alcoholic Beverages to Children and Adolescents: A Narrative Review.Current developments in nutrition · 2025Review
- Exploring the Digital Health Landscape: How adolescents living in urban and rural Vanuatu use online platforms to access health information.Open research Europe · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundChildren and adolescents are exposed to a high volume of unhealthy food marketing across digital media. No previous Canadian data has estimated child exposure to food marketing across digital media platforms. This study aimed to compare the frequency, healthfulness and power of food marketing viewed by children and adolescents across all digital platforms in Canada.
methodsFor this cross-sectional study, a quota sample of 100 youth aged 6-17 years old (50 children, 50 adolescents distributed equally by sex) were recruited online and in-person in Canada in 2022. Each participant completed the WHO screen capture protocol where they were recorded using their smartphone or tablet for 30-min in an online Zoom session. Research assistants identified all instances of food marketing in the captured video footage. A content analysis of each marketing instance was then completed to examine the use of marketing techniques. Nutritional data were collected on each product viewed and healthfulness was determined using Health Canada's 2018 Nutrient Profile Model. Estimated daily and yearly exposure to food marketing was calculated using self-reported device usage data.
results51% of youth were exposed to food marketing. On average, we estimated that children are exposed to 1.96 marketing instances/child/30-min (4067 marketing instances/child/year) and adolescents are exposed to 2.56 marketing instances/adolescent/30-min (8301 marketing instances/adolescent/year). Both children and adolescents were most exposed on social media platforms (83%), followed by mobile games (13%). Both age groups were most exposed to fast food (22% of marketing instances) compared to other food categories. Nearly 90% of all marketing instances were considered less healthy according to Health Canada's proposed 2018 Nutrient Profile Model, and youth-appealing marketing techniques such as graphic effects and music were used frequently.
conclusionsUsing the WHO screen capture protocol, we were able to determine that child and adolescent exposure to the marketing of unhealthy foods across digital media platforms is likely high. Government regulation to protect these vulnerable populations from the negative effects of this marketing is warranted.
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