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Meta-Analysis
. 2019 Apr;20(4):554-568.
doi: 10.1111/obr.12812. Epub 2018 Dec 21.

The effect of screen advertising on children's dietary intake: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Simon J Russell  1 , Helen Croker  1 , Russell M Viner  1
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

The effect of screen advertising on children's dietary intake: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Simon J Russell et al. Obes Rev. 2019 Apr.

Abstract

Evidence indicates that screen advertising for unhealthy food results in significant increases in dietary intake among children. This review was undertaken with the main aim of estimating the quantitative effect of screen advertising in experimental and nonexperimental conditions on children's dietary intake. Systematic searches were undertaken of interdisciplinary databases. Studies from 1980 to April 2018, all geography and languages, were included; participants were children and adolescents aged between 2 and 18 years; the intervention was screen advertising; and the outcome was dietary intake. Meta-analyses were conducted for measured and nonmeasured outcomes. Food advertising was found to increase dietary intake among children (age range 2-14, mean 8.8 years) in experimental conditions for television (TV) advertising and advergames. Meta-analysis revealed that children exposed to food advertising on TV (11 studies) and advergames (five studies) respectively consumed an average 60.0 kcal (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.1-116.9) and 53.2 kcal (95% CI, 31.5-74.9) more than children exposed to nonfood advertising. There was also an effect by body mass index (BMI). Findings from nonexperimental studies revealed that exposure to TV food advertising was positively associated with and predictive of dietary intake in children. Short-term exposure to unhealthy food advertising on TV and advergames increases immediate calorie consumption in children.

Keywords: child and adolescent health; food advertising; obesity; policy.

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Conflict of interest statement

There were no conflicts of interest for this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow chart of searches, screening, and study inclusion process
Figure 2
Figure 2
Forest plot showing mean difference (kcals) in dietary intake between television (TV) and advergame food advertising and nonfood advertising; 95% CIs and study weights are indicated. The overall effect size was generated by a random effects model [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
Figure 3
Figure 3
Forest plot showing mean difference (kcals) in dietary intake between television food advertising and nonfood advertising by BMI group (HW = healthy weight, OW/OB = overweight/obese); 95% CIs and study weights are indicated. The overall effect size was generated by a random effects model [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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