Public health and harmful advertising: The nature and extent of children's real-time exposure to unhealthy commodity marketing

Abstract

The consumption of unhealthy commodities (UHCs) – including unhealthy food, alcohol, tobacco and gambling products – contributes to substantial public health harm and significant social and economic costs. Consumption of UHCs is driven, in part, by increasingly sophisticated, persuasive and extensive product marketing. In Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ), UHC marketing is largely self-regulated by industry but varies by individual commodity. This paper aims to identify the nature and extent of children's exposure to UHC marketing in NZ and consider policy implications. Using data collected from wearable cameras, children's brand marketing exposures were analysed to identify their rate of exposure to UHC marketing, as well as ‘Healthy’ (core food/social marketing) and ‘Other’ marketing. Children (N = 90) were exposed to UHC marketing on average 76.2 times per day, nearly 2.5 times their daily exposure to ‘Healthy’ marketing. Children were exposed to UHC marketing through a more diverse range of settings and mediums than core food and social marketing. Over half of children's unhealthy food (54.9 %) and alcohol (51.9 %) marketing exposures were attributed to multinational corporations (MNCs). Children's exposure to each UHC category generally aligned with the level of regulation over that commodity in NZ. Overall, these findings support comprehensive statutory marketing regulation over UHCs, both in NZ and likely internationally given the global nature of UHCs. Statutory marketing regulation would reduce children's exposure to UHC marketing and protect public health. Given the extensive similarities among UHCs, policymakers should consider a joint regulatory approach.