Food and Drink Advertising in UK Women's Magazines
Author Information
Author(s): Jean Adams, Emma Simpson, Martin White
Primary Institution: Institute of Health & Society, Newcastle University
Hypothesis
How does food and drink advertising vary in UK women's magazines based on season, magazine type, and socio-economic profile of readers?
Conclusion
Food and drink advertisements represented only a small proportion of advertisements in UK women's monthly magazines and featured a high proportion of less healthy foods.
Supporting Evidence
- Food advertisements accounted for only 3.9% of all advertisements in the magazines studied.
- 28.0% of food advertisements were for foods high in fat and/or sugar.
- Food advertisements were most common in summer and in magazines with affluent readerships.
- Alcohol advertisements made up 10.1% of food advertisements.
Takeaway
This study looked at food ads in women's magazines and found that most ads were for unhealthy foods, especially in summer and in magazines read by wealthier people.
Methodology
The study analyzed all advertisements in 18 popular UK monthly women's magazines over 12 months, categorizing food and drink ads into seven food groups.
Potential Biases
The analysis assumes all advertisements have the same impact, which may not be true as different ads can influence dietary choices differently.
Limitations
The study only included branded products and did not account for non-branded food products shown in advertisements.
Participant Demographics
The magazines studied had a readership primarily composed of women aged 15 and older, with varying socio-economic backgrounds.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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