TY - JOUR

T1 - Socio-economic differences in exposure to television food advertisements in the UK

T2 - a cross-sectional study of advertisements broadcast in one television region

AU - Adams, Jean

AU - Tyrrell, Rachel

AU - Adamson, Ashley J.

AU - White, Martin

PY - 2012/3

Y1 - 2012/3

N2 - Objective: To document socio-economic differences in exposure to food advertising, including advertisements for foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) as defined by the UK Food Standards Agency's Nutrient Profiling Model.Design: A cross-sectional survey. Information (including product advertised and viewing figures) on all advertisements broadcast in one UK region over one week (6-12 July 2009) was obtained. Food advertisements were identified and linked to nutritional information on the content of advertised foods.Setting: UK Tyne-Tees television region.Subjects: Data were sourced from a UK-wide television viewing panel.Results: Eleven per cent of advertising seen was for food and 63% of food advertising seen was for HFSS foods. The proportion of all advertising seen that was for food was smaller among viewers in the least v. most affluent social grade (OR=0.98, 99% CI 0.95, 1.00). There was no difference in the proportion of food advertising seen that was for HFSS food between viewers in the most and least affluent social grades. Total exposure to both all food advertising and HFSS food advertising was 2.1 times greater among the least v. the most affluent viewers.Conclusions: While the least affluent viewers saw relatively fewer food advertisements, their absolute exposure to all food and HFSS food advertisements was higher than that of the most affluent viewers. Current UK restrictions prohibit advertisements for HFSS foods during programmes with a high proportion of child viewers. Extending these to all programming may reduce socio-economic inequalities in exposure to these advertisements and in diet and obesity.

AB - Objective: To document socio-economic differences in exposure to food advertising, including advertisements for foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) as defined by the UK Food Standards Agency's Nutrient Profiling Model.Design: A cross-sectional survey. Information (including product advertised and viewing figures) on all advertisements broadcast in one UK region over one week (6-12 July 2009) was obtained. Food advertisements were identified and linked to nutritional information on the content of advertised foods.Setting: UK Tyne-Tees television region.Subjects: Data were sourced from a UK-wide television viewing panel.Results: Eleven per cent of advertising seen was for food and 63% of food advertising seen was for HFSS foods. The proportion of all advertising seen that was for food was smaller among viewers in the least v. most affluent social grade (OR=0.98, 99% CI 0.95, 1.00). There was no difference in the proportion of food advertising seen that was for HFSS food between viewers in the most and least affluent social grades. Total exposure to both all food advertising and HFSS food advertising was 2.1 times greater among the least v. the most affluent viewers.Conclusions: While the least affluent viewers saw relatively fewer food advertisements, their absolute exposure to all food and HFSS food advertisements was higher than that of the most affluent viewers. Current UK restrictions prohibit advertisements for HFSS foods during programmes with a high proportion of child viewers. Extending these to all programming may reduce socio-economic inequalities in exposure to these advertisements and in diet and obesity.

KW - Media

KW - Advertisements

KW - Socio-economic

KW - Diet

KW - CHILDRENS TELEVISION

KW - NUTRITIONAL CONTENT

KW - OBESITY

KW - INDICATORS

KW - MAGAZINES

KW - CANADA

KW - AGE

U2 - 10.1017/S1368980011001686

DO - 10.1017/S1368980011001686

M3 - Journal article

VL - 15

SP - 487

EP - 494

JO - Public Health Nutrition

JF - Public Health Nutrition

SN - 1368-9800

IS - 3

ER -