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Development of a tool to assess the nature and extent of school based digital food and beverage marketing
Children are exposed to unhealthy food advertising in many settings and through a variety of channels including electronic media. While spending on school food and beverage marketing dropped between 2006 and 2009, spending on digital marketing both on and off school grounds increased by over 50% during the same period. Many students receive school-issued laptops and tablets and have access to smartphones during the school day, on which they are receiving targeted junk food and beverage advertisements. Partnering with Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) we developed a school digital food and beverage marketing assessment tool to help us understand the nature and extent of school based digital food and beverage marketing (SDFBM) to youth and determine how to improve policies and environments so that they align with new federal marketing standards.
Methods
We reviewed the literature, consulted with experts and interviewed school personnel from three Portland, Maine schools. Based on these data, survey questions were developed to assess the nature and extent of SDFBM. The tool will be pilot tested in the three study schools (one elementary, one middle and one high school) spring 2015.
Results
The new SDFBM tool (including marketing domains and specific questions) will be described. Pilot digital marketing assessment results and recommendations for tool improvement will also be presented.
Discussion
This tool may be used by any school or advocacy organization to understand SDFBM and to help develop policies and systems to reduce this type of marketing.
Learning Areas:
Chronic disease management and preventionPublic health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines
Public health or related public policy
Public health or related research
Learning Objectives:
Identify key school-based digital marketing strategies to advertise foods and beverages
Describe how to assess digital school based food and beverage marketing
Identify key areas for school digital marketing policy improvement
Keyword(s): Marketing, Nutrition
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a tenured public health faculty member at the University of New England and have been working in the area of childhood obesity for the past 15 years. I hold a PhD and an MHS from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and have recently been awarded several grants as Principal Investigator to study school based food and beverage marketing to youth.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.