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. 2022 Aug;42(8):307-318.
doi: 10.24095/hpcdp.42.8.01.

Benchmarking unhealthy food marketing to children and adolescents in Canada: a scoping review

[Article in English, French]
Monique Potvin Kent  1 , Farah Hatoum  2 , David Wu  3 , Lauren Remedios  1 , Mariangela Bagnato  1
Affiliations

Benchmarking unhealthy food marketing to children and adolescents in Canada: a scoping review

[Article in English, French]
Monique Potvin Kent et al. Health Promot Chronic Dis Prev Can. 2022 Aug.

Abstract
in English, French

Introduction: Unhealthy food and beverage marketing in various media and settings contributes to children's poor dietary intake. In 2019, the Canadian federal government recommended the introduction of new restrictions on food marketing to children. This scoping review aimed to provide an up-to-date assessment of the frequency of food marketing to children and youth in Canada as well as children's exposure to this marketing in various media and settings in order to determine where gaps exist in the research.

Methods: For this scoping review, detailed search strategies were used to identify relevant peer-reviewed and grey literature published between October 2016 and November 2021. Two reviewers screened all results.

Results: A total of 32 relevant and unique articles were identified; 28 were peer reviewed and 4 were from the grey literature. The majority of the studies (n = 26) examined the frequency of food marketing while 6 examined actual exposure to food marketing. Most research focussed on children from Ontario and Quebec and television and digital media. There was little research exploring food marketing to children by age, geographical location, sex/gender, race/ethnicity and/or socioeconomic status.

Conclusion: Our synthesis suggests that unhealthy food marketing to children and adolescents is extensive and that current self-regulatory policies are insufficient at reducing the presence of such marketing. Research assessing the frequency of food marketing and preschooler, child and adolescent exposure to this marketing is needed across a variety of media and settings to inform future government policies.

Introduction: Le marketing des boissons et des aliments malsains dans différents médias et différents contextes contribue à la mauvaise alimentation des enfants. En 2019, le gouvernement du Canada a recommandé l’introduction de nouvelles restrictions sur le marketing alimentaire auprès des enfants. Cet examen de la portée vise à fournir une évaluation à jour de la fréquence du marketing alimentaire auprès des enfants et des jeunes au Canada, ainsi que de l’exposition des enfants à ce type de marketing dans différents médias et différents contextes afin de cerner les lacunes dans la recherche.

Méthodologie: Pour cet examen de la portée, nous avons utilisé plusieurs stratégies de recherche pour recenser les travaux pertinents issus de la littérature grise et de la littérature évaluée par les pairs publiés entre octobre 2016 et novembre 2021. Deux examinateurs ont passé en revue l’ensemble des résultats.

Résultats: Au total, 32 articles pertinents ont été recensés : 28 publications évaluées par les pairs et 4 articles provenant de la littérature grise. La majorité des études (n = 26) portaient sur la fréquence du marketing alimentaire et 6 études s’intéressaient à l’exposition réelle au marketing alimentaire. La plupart des travaux étaient axés sur les enfants de l’Ontario et du Québec ainsi que sur la télévision et les médias numériques. Peu de recherches ont été menées sur le marketing alimentaire auprès des enfants en fonction de l’âge, de la situation géographique, du sexe/genre, du groupe ethnique ou du statut socioéconomique.

Conclusion: Selon les résultats de notre synthèse, le marketing des aliments malsains auprès des enfants et des adolescents est très répandu et les politiques d’autoréglementation actuelles sont insuffisantes pour réduire la présence de ce type de marketing. Des recherches évaluant la fréquence du marketing alimentaire et l’exposition des enfants d’âge préscolaire, des enfants et des adolescents à ce type de marketing doivent être menées dans différents médias et différents contextes pour orienter les futures politiques gouvernementales.

Keywords: Canada; adolescents; children; food environment; food marketing; obesity; policy; self-regulation.

Plain language summary

The frequency of food marketing to children and adolescents in Canada is ubiquitous. Although children’s actual exposure to unhealthy food marketing exists in different media, the evidence base is limited. Most research focusses on frequency of exposure, children from Ontario and Quebec, and television and digital media. Research is needed to examine the frequency of food marketing and pre-schoolers’, children’s and adolescents’ exposure to the marketing by geographical location, media and target population.

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Conflict of interest statement

None.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. PRISMA flow diagram of systematic search of peer-reviewed and grey literature (n = 32)
Figure 2
Figure 2. Target population by media and settings of included studies
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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