Children's exposure to unhealthy food marketing influences their food knowledge, preferences and consumption. Sport sponsorship by food companies is widespread and industry investment in this ...marketing is increasing. This study aimed to assess children's awareness of sport sponsors and their brand-related attitudes and purchasing intentions in response to this marketing.
Sports clubs known to have food sponsors and representing the most popular sports for Australian children across a range of demographic areas were recruited. Interview-based questionnaires were conducted at clubs with children aged 10-14 years (n = 103) to examine their recall of local sports club and elite sport sponsors, and their attitudes towards sponsors and sponsorship activities.
Most children (68%) could recall sponsors of their sports club, naming a median of two sponsors, including a median of one food company sponsor each. Almost half (47%) of children could recall any sponsors of their favourite elite sporting team. Children aged 10-11 years were more likely than older children to report that they thought about sponsors when buying something to eat or drink (P < 0.01); that they liked to return the favour to sponsors by buying their products (P < 0.01); and that sponsors were 'cool' (P = 0.02). Most children had received a voucher or certificate from a food or beverage company to reward sport performance (86% and 76%, respectively). Around one-third of children reported liking the company more after receiving these rewards.
Children's high recall of food and beverage company sport sponsors and their positive attitudes towards these sponsors and their promotions is concerning as this is likely to be linked to children's food preferences and consumption. Limiting children's exposure to this marketing is an important initiative to improve children's nutrition.
1) Explore the availability and accessibility of fast food energy and nutrient information post‐NSW menu labelling legislation in states with and without menu labelling legislation. 2) Determine ...whether availability and accessibility differed compared with pre‐menu labelling legislation in NSW.
We visited 210 outlets of the five largest fast food chains in five Australian states to observe the availability and accessibility of energy and nutrient information. Results were compared with 197 outlets surveyed pre‐menu labelling.
Most outlets (95%) provided energy values, half provided nutrient values and 3% provided information for all menu items. The total amount of information available increased post‐NSW menu labelling implementation (473 versus 178 pre‐implementation, p<0.001); however, fewer outlets provided nutrient values (26% versus 97% pre‐implementation, p<0.001).
Fast food chains surveyed had voluntarily introduced menu labelling nationally. However, more nutrient information was available in‐store in 2010, showing that fast food chains are able to provide comprehensive nutrition information, yet they have stopped doing so.
Menu labelling legislation should compel fast food chains to provide accessible nutrition information including nutrient values in addition to energy for all menu items in‐store. Additionally, public education campaigns are needed to ensure customers can use menu labelling.
This study compared the prelinguistic vocal development of 30 9- month-old babies with unrepaired cleft palate and age-matched peers (N=15). Fewer of the babies with cleft palate had reached the ...canonical babbling stage (57 percent versus 93 percent) and had smaller consonant inventories. However, syllable types and length and number of vocalizations were similar for the two groups. (Contains references.) (Author/DB)
Abstract Objective Assess the effect of counter-advertisements on parents' appraisals of unhealthy foods featuring front-of-package promotions (FOPPs). Design A 2 × 2 × 5 between-subjects Web-based ...experiment. Parents were randomly shown an advertisement (counter-advertisement challenging FOPP/control advertisement) and then a pair of food products from the same category: an unhealthy product featuring an FOPP (nutrient content claim/sports celebrity endorsement) and a healthier control product with no FOPP. Setting Australia. Participants A total of 1,269 Australian-based parents of children aged 5–12 years recruited from an online panel. Main Outcome Measures Parents nominated which product they would prefer to buy and which they thought was healthier, then rated the unhealthy product and FOPP on various characteristics. Analysis Differences between advertisement conditions were assessed using logistic regression (product choice tasks) and analysis of variance tests (ratings of unhealthy product and FOPP). Results Compared with parents who saw a control advertisement, parents who saw a counter-advertisement perceived unhealthy products featuring FOPPs as less healthy, expressed weaker intentions for buying such products, and were more likely to read the nutrition facts panel before nominating choices (all P < .001). Conclusions and Implications Counter-advertising may help reduce the misleading influence of unhealthy food marketing and improve the accuracy of parents' evaluations of how nutritious promoted food products are.
Kathy L. Chapman
University of Utah, Salt Lake City
Contact author: Mary Hardin-Jones, Division of Communication Disorders, Dept. 3311, The University of Wyoming, 1000 E. University Avenue, Laramie, ...WY 82071. E-mail: mhardinj{at}uwyo.edu .
Purpose: The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the impact of early intervention on speech and lexical measures for toddlers with cleft palate.
Method: Speech measures of ten 27-month-old toddlers with cleft palate who had been referred for therapy at 17 months of age were compared to those of 10 toddlers with cleft palate who had been referred but did not receive therapy. Both groups were compared to 2 other groups of children who had never been referred for therapy.
Results: Multivariate analysis of variance revealed only 1 significant difference between the children who received therapy and those who did not receive therapy. Children who received therapy produced a significantly greater percentage of glides ( p < .001) than did children who did not receive therapy.
Conclusion: The findings of this study indicated that early intervention as conducted by the speech-language pathologists in this study was not as effective as expected for this group of toddlers with cleft palate.
KEY WORDS: cleft palate, early intervention
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Delays in speech and articulation development have been found in school-aged children and adolescents with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). This report examines speech and language skills of preschool ...children with NF1. Nineteen 3- to 5-year-old children diagnosed with NF1 were assessed using measures of articulation (GFTA-2), and receptive and expressive language (CELF-P2). Significant differences were observed between mean scores obtained by the group of children with NF1 compared to the validated controls from the speech and language instruments (P < or = 0.009). Sixty-eight percent of the children exhibited delays in speech and/or language. Thirty-two percent demonstrated delays in articulation, 37% percent demonstrated delays in receptive language, and 37% exhibited delays in expressive language. Sixteen percent of the children exhibited a voice disorder and 42% were judged to have a resonance problem. No significant differences were observed on any of the measures of speech and language for children with non-familial versus familial NF1. Results of this study support the need for early assessment of speech and language problems for children diagnosed with NF1 and implementation of appropriate timely intervention as needed.
We assessed the amount, reach, and nature of energy-dense, nutrient-poor (EDNP) food and beverage marketing on Facebook.
We conducted a content analysis of the marketing techniques used by the 27 ...most popular food and beverage brand Facebook pages in Australia. We coded content across 19 marketing categories; data were collected from the day each page launched (mean = 3.65 years of activity per page).
We analyzed 13 international pages and 14 Australian-based brand pages; 4 brands (Subway, Coca-Cola, Slurpee, Maltesers) had both national and international pages. Pages widely used marketing features unique to social media that increase consumer interaction and engagement. Common techniques were competitions based on user-generated content, interactive games, and apps. Four pages included apps that allowed followers to place an order directly through Facebook. Adolescent and young adult Facebook users appeared most receptive to engaging with this content.
By using the interactive and social aspects of Facebook to market products, EDNP food brands capitalize on users' social networks and magnify the reach and personal relevance of their marketing messages.
Issues addressed
The aim of the present study was to describe food advertising and expenditure on Australian television, and to conduct an audit to assess what proportion of food and beverage ...television advertisements was consistent with dietary recommendations.
Methods
Data were acquired from a national media monitoring company for advertisements broadcast in five major Australian cities from 1 September 2010 to 31 October 2010. Content analysis was undertaken on these advertisements and the advertised foods were assessed against the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. The data also included advertising expenditures.
Results
Most advertised foods were non‐core foods (63%), with few advertisements for fruits and vegetables (6%). Advertisements for non‐core foods were significantly more frequent during prime time viewing periods (71% vs 60%; P < 0.01). High levels of advertising for fast food (28%) and non‐core beverages (24%) were recorded.
Conclusions
The present study found that the foods advertised during the data‐collection period were inconsistent with the recommended diet. There are clear areas for policy concern given that the majority of recorded advertisements were for foods classified as ‘occasional foods’, there were low levels of advertising for fruit and vegetables, and there were no social marketing messages to support healthy eating.
So what?
The findings of the study suggest that there is an urgent need for more comprehensive regulation of food advertising in Australia.
This study describes food advertising and expenditure on Australian television, and identifies the proportion of food and beverage television advertisements that are consistent with dietary recommendations. Advertisements were sampled from five Australian cities over 61 days and assessed against the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. Most advertised foods were non‐core foods, with few advertisements for fruits and vegetables and no social marketing messages to support healthy eating, suggesting that there is an urgent need for more comprehensive regulation of food advertising in Australia.
The Exercise and Nutrition Routine Improving Cancer Health (ENRICH) study is investigating a novel lifestyle intervention aimed at improving the health behaviors of adult cancer survivors and their ...carers. The main purpose of the study is to determine the efficacy of lifestyle education and skill development delivered via group-based sessions on the physical activity and dietary behaviors of participants. This article describes the intervention development, study design, and participant recruitment.
ENRICH is a randomized controlled trial, conducted in Australia, with two arms: an intervention group participating in six, two-hour face-to-face sessions held over eight weeks, and a wait-list control group. Intervention sessions are co-facilitated by an exercise physiologist and dietician. Content includes healthy eating education, and a home-based walking (utilizing a pedometer) and resistance training program (utilizing elastic tubing resistance devices). The program was developed with reference to social cognitive theory and chronic disease self-management models. The study population consists of cancer survivors (post active-treatment) and their carers recruited through community-based advertising and referral from health professionals. The primary outcome is seven-days of sealed pedometry. Secondary outcomes include: self-reported physical activity levels, dietary intake, sedentary behavior, waist circumference, body mass index, quality of life, and perceived social support. The outcomes will be measured at baseline (one week prior to attending the program), eight-weeks (at completion of intervention sessions), and 20-weeks. The intervention group will also be invited to complete 12-month follow-up data collection. Process evaluation data will be obtained from participants by questionnaire and attendance records.
No trials are yet available that have evaluated the efficacy of group-based lifestyle education and skill development amongst mixed groups of cancer survivors and their carers. The results will have implications for the planning and provision of health and support services during the cancer survivorship phase.
Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Register identifier: ANZCTRN12609001086257.
This study examined the relationship between speech measures at presurgery/9 months and postsurgery/13 months and speech and language performance at 21 months for children with cleft lip and palate ...and their noncleft peers. Comparisons were also made between the speech and lexical development of children with cleft lip and palate and noncleft children at 21 months of age. The participants included 30 children; 15 with cleft lip and palate and 15 noncleft children. Results revealed differences between the groups for several measures of speech and lexical development at 21 months. For the children with cleft palate, correlational analyses suggested that true stop production, both immediately before and after palatal surgery, was positively correlated with a majority of the speech production measures at 21 months. At postsurgery/13 months, true stop production was related to later vocabulary development, and size of true consonant inventory was related to all measure of speech production and one measure of lexical development at 21 months. For the noncleft group, true canonical babbling ratio at 13 months was the only measure that was significantly correlated with any of the speech and/or language measures at 21 months. The impact of clefting on prelinguistic and later speech and language skills is discussed.
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