Food and drink advertising along school children’s transport routes in Victoria, Australia and policy implications
Abstract Objectives: To examine the extent and nature of food and non-alcoholic drink advertising displayed on public transport and infrastructure on school routes. Design: Audit of outdoor advertisements on government-controlled public transport and associated infrastructure (e.g. tram shelters...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Public Health Nutrition |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1368980025000345/type/journal_article |
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| author | Sherly X Li Claire Hardi Rebecca Godwin Rachael Jinnette Belinda Morley Helen Dixon Jane Martin |
| author_facet | Sherly X Li Claire Hardi Rebecca Godwin Rachael Jinnette Belinda Morley Helen Dixon Jane Martin |
| author_sort | Sherly X Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
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Abstract
Objectives:
To examine the extent and nature of food and non-alcoholic drink advertising displayed on public transport and infrastructure on school routes.
Design:
Audit of outdoor advertisements on government-controlled public transport and associated infrastructure (e.g. tram shelters, bus stops) on busy school routes in Victoria, Australia. Using a strict protocol, trained field workers collected data on the type and content of outdoor advertising during February 2023 (start of school year). Food/drink advertising was classified (unhealthy or healthy) according to the Council of Australian Governments Health Council National interim guide to reduce children’s exposure to unhealthy food and drink promotion (2018).
Setting:
Government-controlled buses, trams and public transport infrastructure on routes from eleven of the busiest train stations in metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria, Australia to fifty public primary and secondary schools. Stations were chosen based on annual patronage, area-based socio-economic area (SEA) and regionality).
Results:
156 out of 888 advertisements were for food and non-alcoholic drinks. Of these, almost six in ten (58 %) were deemed unhealthy irrespective of SEA or regionality. Marketing appeals most featured were taste (31 %), convenience (28 %) and emotion (9 %). A significantly higher proportion of unhealthy advertisements were displayed within 500 m of schools v. outside this radius (91 % v. 57 %, P < 0·01).
Conclusion:
Given the detrimental impacts of exposure to unhealthy food/drink advertising on children’s diets, the pervasive, powerful presence of such advertising across government public transport assets, particularly around schools, contradicts public health recommendations to protect children from exposure to and influence by this harmful marketing and warrants government action.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4e3a2383a9a04bd097aa7a08c9523a9c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1368-9800 1475-2727 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Public Health Nutrition |
| spelling | doaj-art-4e3a2383a9a04bd097aa7a08c9523a9c2025-08-20T03:25:42ZengCambridge University PressPublic Health Nutrition1368-98001475-27272025-01-012810.1017/S1368980025000345Food and drink advertising along school children’s transport routes in Victoria, Australia and policy implicationsSherly X Li0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7840-4051Claire Hardi1Rebecca Godwin2Rachael Jinnette3Belinda Morley4Helen Dixon5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5365-9605Jane Martin6Prevention Division, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, VIC, Australia MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, UK Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaPrevention Division, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaCentre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaCentre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaCentre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, VIC, Australia Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaCentre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, VIC, Australia Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaPrevention Division, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, VIC, Australia Abstract Objectives: To examine the extent and nature of food and non-alcoholic drink advertising displayed on public transport and infrastructure on school routes. Design: Audit of outdoor advertisements on government-controlled public transport and associated infrastructure (e.g. tram shelters, bus stops) on busy school routes in Victoria, Australia. Using a strict protocol, trained field workers collected data on the type and content of outdoor advertising during February 2023 (start of school year). Food/drink advertising was classified (unhealthy or healthy) according to the Council of Australian Governments Health Council National interim guide to reduce children’s exposure to unhealthy food and drink promotion (2018). Setting: Government-controlled buses, trams and public transport infrastructure on routes from eleven of the busiest train stations in metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria, Australia to fifty public primary and secondary schools. Stations were chosen based on annual patronage, area-based socio-economic area (SEA) and regionality). Results: 156 out of 888 advertisements were for food and non-alcoholic drinks. Of these, almost six in ten (58 %) were deemed unhealthy irrespective of SEA or regionality. Marketing appeals most featured were taste (31 %), convenience (28 %) and emotion (9 %). A significantly higher proportion of unhealthy advertisements were displayed within 500 m of schools v. outside this radius (91 % v. 57 %, P < 0·01). Conclusion: Given the detrimental impacts of exposure to unhealthy food/drink advertising on children’s diets, the pervasive, powerful presence of such advertising across government public transport assets, particularly around schools, contradicts public health recommendations to protect children from exposure to and influence by this harmful marketing and warrants government action. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1368980025000345/type/journal_articleChildrenOutdoor food and drink advertisingFood and drink marketing |
| spellingShingle | Sherly X Li Claire Hardi Rebecca Godwin Rachael Jinnette Belinda Morley Helen Dixon Jane Martin Food and drink advertising along school children’s transport routes in Victoria, Australia and policy implications Public Health Nutrition Children Outdoor food and drink advertising Food and drink marketing |
| title | Food and drink advertising along school children’s transport routes in Victoria, Australia and policy implications |
| title_full | Food and drink advertising along school children’s transport routes in Victoria, Australia and policy implications |
| title_fullStr | Food and drink advertising along school children’s transport routes in Victoria, Australia and policy implications |
| title_full_unstemmed | Food and drink advertising along school children’s transport routes in Victoria, Australia and policy implications |
| title_short | Food and drink advertising along school children’s transport routes in Victoria, Australia and policy implications |
| title_sort | food and drink advertising along school children s transport routes in victoria australia and policy implications |
| topic | Children Outdoor food and drink advertising Food and drink marketing |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1368980025000345/type/journal_article |
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