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Background Teenagers are aggressively targeted by food marketing messages (primarily for unhealthy foods) and susceptible to this messaging due to developmental vulnerabilities and peer-group influence. Yet limited research exists on the exposure and power of food marketing specifically to teenage populations. Research studies often collapse “teenagers” under the umbrella of children or do not recognize the uniqueness of teen-targeted appeals. Child- and teen-targeted marketing strategies are not the same, and this study aims to advance understanding of teen-targeted food marketing by identifying the teen-specific promotion platforms, techniques and indicators detailed in existing literature. Methods A systematic scoping review collected all available literature on food marketing/advertising with the term “teenager” or “adolescent” from nine databases, as well as Google Scholar for grey literature, and a hand search of relevant institutional websites. Included were all peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and grey literature in which food marketing to youth was the central topic of the article, of any study type (i.e., original research, reviews, commentaries and reports), and including any part of the 12–17 age range. Results The 122 articles reviewed define the scope of existing literature on food marketing to young people age 17 and under, identifying leading trends in countries studied (United States, 52%), populations identified (children and teens studied concurrently, 36%), outcomes measured (advertising exposure, 54%), study type (cross-sectional, 58%) and methods used (content analysis, 46%). The promotion platforms and techniques used by food marketers to appeal to young people (as reported in the literature) are also identified and classified. Few studies (7%) use indicators to identify teen-targeted food marketing. Conclusions Unique treatments of teen populations are limited in food marketing literature, as is the application of clear indicators to identify and differentiate teen-targeted food marketing from child- or adult-targeted content. Given the need to better measure the presence and power of teen food marketing, this is a significant oversight in existing literature. The indicators identified will help researchers to develop more accurate strategies for researching and monitoring teen-targeted food promotion.

Child-targeted food marketing is a significant public health concern, prompting calls for its regulation. Product packaging is a powerful form of food marketing aimed at children, yet no published studies examine the range of literature on the topic or the “power” of its marketing techniques. This study attempts such a task. Providing a systematic scoping review of the literature on child-targeted food packaging, we assesses the nutritional profile of these foods, the types of foods examined, and the creative strategies used to attract children. Fifty-seven full text articles were reviewed. Results identify high level trends in methodological approaches (content analysis, 38%), outcomes measured (exposure, 44%) and with respect to age. Studies examining the nutritional profile of child-targeted packaged foods use various models, classifying from anywhere from 41% to 97% of products as unhealthy. Content analyses track the prevalence of child-targeted techniques (cartoon characters as the most frequently measured), while other studies assess their effectiveness. Overall, this scoping review offers important insights into the differences between techniques tracked and those measured for effectiveness in existing literature, and identifies gaps for future research around the question of persuasive power—particularly when it comes to children’s age and the specific types of techniques examined.

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Education and literacy are important aspects of health promotion. The potential for health literacy to promote healthier choices has been widely examined, with studies variously incorporating food literacy, nutrition literacy and/or media literacy as components of health literacy, rather than treating each as unique concepts for health promotion. This study examines similarities and differences across health literacy, food literacy, nutrition literacy and health-promoting media literacy to highlight how each literacy type theorizes the relationship between education and health. A meta-review of existing scoping and systematic reviews examining literacy conceptualizations was conducted to examine the four literacies. Representative concept definitions were extracted and key competencies (or skills) and desired consequences were identified and grouped into subcategories for analysis. This study located 378 articles, of which 17 scoping/systematic reviews were included (10 for health literacy, 3 for food, 1 for nutrition and 3 for media). Representative concept definitions of the four literacy types revealed three skill categories (information acquisition, information analysis, and the application of information) and three categories of desired consequences (knowledge, attitudes and behaviors), with each of the four literacy types emphasizing varied collections of skills and desired consequences. Despite perceived similarities in content, health, food, nutrition and media literacy conceptualize the relationship between education and health differently, emphasizing the distinct types of knowledge to promote health-related outcomes. A better understanding of the differences between these four literacies will lead to informed decision making for researchers, educators and health practitioners in intervention design and implementation.