Policies to Reduce Food Marketing to Youth: What Factors Predict Parent Support?

Theoretical Background and research questions/hypothesis:  Exposure to large numbers of food advertisements that primarily promote products with little or no nutritional value is an important contributor to the epidemic of obesity among young people (FTC, 2012; Zimmerman & Bell, 2010; Harris, Pomeranz, Lobstein, & Brownell, 2009; IOM, 2006). Given increased advocacy efforts and recent proposals for policy actions to reduce unhealthy food marketing directed to youth it is important to understand public attitudes toward policies.  This research examines the following questions: Has parent support for policies to reduce food marketing to children and adolescents changed from 2009 through 2012? Is perceived negative impact of food marketing on youth related to parent support for food marketing polices? What socio-demographic variables predict parent support for food marketing policies?

Methods:  An online survey of U.S. parents (N=3,356) with children ages 2-17 living at home was conducted annually from 2009 to 2012. Participants answered questions about perceived impact of food marketing on children and adolescents, support for policies to reduce food marketing to youth, and socio-demographic characteristics, including race/ethnicity, political orientation, household income and the age, gender, height and weight of children in their household. 

Results:  Parents agreed that food marketing negatively impacts their children’s eating habits (M=6.87 ±2.08 out of 10) and expressed high support for policies to reduce food marketing to youth (M=6.73±2.37 out of 10). Perceived negative impact of youth-targeted food marketing was a strong predictor of support for policies (β =.64, p<0.001). Controlling for other factors, women, parents with overweight/obese children, and Hispanic and black parents showed higher support for policies to reduce food marketing to youth. There was also a significant interaction between parents’ political affiliation and race/ethnicity, in which support was similarly high for all parents except white non-Hispanic conservatives (β =.24, p<0.001). Support for policies to reduce child-targeted food marketing remained high across all years (2009 through 2012).

Conclusions:  Support for policies to restrict child-targeted food marketing are highest among those who believe it negatively impacts their children, as well as those who likely have more direct experience with childhood obesity (e.g., parents with an overweight child, black/Hispanic parents). This study suggests that policies to reduce unhealthy food marketing to children and teens would provide welcome support to parents in their efforts to raise healthy children.

Implications for research and/or practice:  Political infeasibility has been suggested as a barrier to enacting polices to reduce food marketing to children and youth (Blendon, Hunt, & Benson, 2006; Brescoll, Kersh, & Brownell, 2008).  This research may embolden policymakers to consider a variety of efforts to reduce food marketing to children.  Public health campaigns to increase parents’ perceptions of the negative impact of youth-targeted food marketing have the potential to bolster the already present support of policies to reduce food marketing to youth. Advocacy experts would likely receive parent support within black and Hispanic communities to address youth-targeted marketing of unhealthy foods.