Cross-Sectional Evaluation of Food Items Preferred by Adolescents under the Influence of Television Advertisements

Abstract

Background: Food and beverage advertisements on television play a significant role in food preferences, especially among children and adolescents. This study aimed to evaluate foods and beverages advertised on television and purchased by adolescents or their families using the World Health Organization (WHO) nutrient profiling model. Study design: A cross-sectional study. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 2,699 students (1380 males and 1319 females) aged 11-16 in Ankara, Turkey, in 2015. Socio-demographic characteristics, television-viewing habits, and the tendency to purchase foods and beverages under the influence of TV advertisements were recorded. The body weight and height were measured by the researchers. All reported food and beverage items (n = 284) were evaluated and classified as permitted or not permitted to advertise, according to the WHO nutrient profile model (2015). Results: The majority (69.8%) of students were underweight/normal weight, whereas 13.3% and 16.9% were classified as overweight and obese, respectively. A total of 69.6% of adolescents declared that they were influenced by food advertisements, and 66.4% bought those foods. The most purchased products included cakes and sweet biscuits (63.8%), chocolate and confectionery (44.9%), savory snacks (39.6%), and soft drinks (25.4%). Only 8.5% of all the advertised products (n = 284) were permitted to be advertised, according to the WHO nutrient profile model (2015). Dairy products, meat products, grains, fruits and vegetables, soup, and some traditional Turkish foods (e.g., cig kofte and Turkish pizza) were permitted. The permitted products were preferred by only 13.6% of the adolescents. Conclusions: Unhealthy foods are advertised on television for adolescents, and food advertisement management may be an essential strategy to provide healthy food choices.

Food Advertisement and Dietary Choices in Adolescents: An Overview of Recent Studies

“…A total of 19 published articles, were included in the review. The studies took place in Europe (Spain [ 34 ], Belgium [ 25 , 36 ], Ireland [ 30 ], the UK [ 26 , 27 ], The Netherlands [ 31 ], Turkey [ 33 ]), the USA [ 20 , 21 , 23 , 24 , 28 , 29 , 32 , 37 ], Uruguay [ 38 ], and Australia [ 22 , 35 ].…”

“…To calculate and assess the degree of obesity/overweight of the subjects to be examined, the Body Mass Index (BMI) was mainly used. Regarding anthropometric characteristics, height and weight in four studies [ 21 , 29 , 31 , 33 ] were measured by specialized personnel according to protocols. In five studies [ 20 , 24 , 27 , 34 , 36 ], those measurements were reported by the adolescents themselves or by their guardians.…”

“…Additionally, in the study by Qutteina et al [ 25 ], participants were trained to take screenshots of any food-related images they received and/or associated with social media, while in 11 studies [ 22 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 30 , 31 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 37 ] questionnaires were used to collect information related to the effect of advertising messages on the consumption of unhealthy drinks and foods. Ares et al used interviews with experienced researchers for this purpose [ 38 ].…”

“…In terms of the type of media used to promote food and beverages, social media was most common in the studies included in this literature review. However, Powell et al [ 21 ], Thomas et al, [ 26 ], Fleming-Milici and Harris [ 28 ], and Fernández-Escobar et al [ 34 ] investigated television viewing in addition to social media sites, while Dikmen et al [ 33 ] examined only the effect of advertising messages from television.…”

“…Regarding between-gender differences, three studies dealt with that parameter [ 25 , 27 , 33 ]. Qutteina et al reported that girls were more likely to share images of food from Instagram and Snapchat.…”