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Scully M, Dixon H, Brennan E, Niederdeppe J, O'Brien K, Pettigrew S, Vandenberg B, Wakefield M. Can counter-advertising exposing alcohol sponsorship and harms influence sport spectators' support for alcohol policies? An experimental study. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:396. [PMID: 36849894 PMCID: PMC9969365 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15250-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to alcohol advertising and sponsorship through elite sport is associated with harmful use of alcohol. Owing to strong financial and cultural ties between alcohol and sport in Australia, policy action to restrict alcohol sport sponsorship is unlikely to occur without strong public support for change. This study tested whether exposure to counter-advertising exposing industry marketing of harmful products-a technique shown to be effective in tobacco control-promotes higher support for policy change and less favourable beliefs about the alcohol industry among sport spectators. METHODS A sample of 1,075 Australian adults aged 18-49 years who planned to watch an National Rugby League (NRL) State of Origin series game, featuring prominent alcohol sponsorship, was recruited through an online panel and randomly assigned to one of three conditions: control (neutral advertisement); counter-advertisement exposing alcohol harms; counter-advertisement exposing alcohol sponsorship and harms. Participants completed a pre-test questionnaire and viewed their assigned counter-advertisement multiple times in the 5-7 days before the NRL game. Within four days of watching the game, participants completed post-test measures. RESULTS Compared to both the control advertisement and the counter-advertisement exposing alcohol harms, participants who viewed the counter-advertisement exposing alcohol sponsorship and harms were significantly more likely to indicate support for each of four policies aimed at restricting sports-related alcohol marketing, including the complete removal of alcohol sponsorship from sport (51% vs. 32% and 37%). They were also significantly less likely to agree with statements such as "alcohol companies should be allowed to sponsor sport since their products are legal" (39% vs. 63% and 60%) and significantly less likely to report liking alcohol companies in general (38% vs. 59% and 54%). There were no significant differences in policy support or industry beliefs between participants who saw the counter-advertisement exposing alcohol harms and those who saw the control advertisement. CONCLUSION Counter-advertising employing messages that expose and critique the intent and impact of pervasive alcohol sponsorship in sport has potential to bolster public support for policies targeting alcohol sport sponsorship, diminish beliefs supportive of alcohol industry marketing strategies and enhance negative views of alcohol companies and their marketing practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maree Scully
- Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Helen Dixon
- Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. .,Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia. .,Curtin School of Population Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia.
| | - Emily Brennan
- Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jeff Niederdeppe
- Department of Communication, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Kerry O'Brien
- School of Social Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Simone Pettigrew
- The George Institute of Global Health, Newtown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Brian Vandenberg
- Department of Communication, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.,Australian Institute of Family Studies, Southbank, Victoria, Australia
| | - Melanie Wakefield
- Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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Carters-White LE, Patterson C, Nimegeer A, Hilton S, Chambers S. Newspaper framing of food and beverage corporations' sponsorship of sport: a content analysis. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:1753. [PMID: 36114474 PMCID: PMC9479402 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-14031-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Unhealthy diets are a leading contributor to obesity, disability and death worldwide. One factor cited as contributing to rises in obesity rates is the pervasive and ubiquitous marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages (F&Bs) across a variety of mediums, such as sport sponsorship at both professional and amateur levels. Despite increased academic attention on the detrimental impacts of sport sponsorship within the obesogenic environment, this has not been matched by legislative action. One explanation may be the way that F&B corporations' sport sponsorship is framed within policy debates. Framing is the deliberate ways in which (often contested) issues are presented in communication. This paper examines how sport sponsorship by F&B corporations is framed through media reports. METHODS This study employed a mixed methods content and framing analysis. First, we conducted a quantitative newsprint content analysis (n = 234). This then informed and directed a thematic framing analysis of a sub-set of articles (n = 54) that specifically associated sport sponsorship by F&B corporations with obesity and childhood obesity. RESULTS The findings suggest that two competing frames are evident within newspaper coverage: 1) public health and 2) industry. The public health frame rejects the sponsorship of sport by High in Fat Sugar and Salt (HFSS) product corporations in particular, calling for such sponsorship to be restricted or banned. The industry frame characterises sponsorship of sport as a form of corporate social responsibility, positioning industry as good moral actors and part of the solution to childhood and adult obesity. These frames are evident across other Unhealthy Commodity Industries (UCIs) policy debates. However, the prominence of industry actors within the sample is potentially indicative of their discursive power within this space, particularly with their emphasis on the financial maintenance of sport as well as encouraging physical activity, contributing to the lack of regulatory development of sport sponsorship by F&B corporations. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study are particularly useful for public health organisations who seek regulatory change, as it may provide further insight into countering industry framing practices, raising the salience of regulation of sport sponsorship and thus increasing the likelihood of regulatory development that seeks to improve population health.
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Affiliation(s)
- L E Carters-White
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Science Unit, University of Glasgow, 99 Berkeley Street, Glasgow, G3 7HR, Berkeley Square, United Kingdom
- SPECTRUM Consortium, Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics, Doorway 1, Old Medical School, Teviot Place, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, EH8 9AG
| | - C Patterson
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Science Unit, University of Glasgow, 99 Berkeley Street, Glasgow, G3 7HR, Berkeley Square, United Kingdom
| | - A Nimegeer
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Science Unit, University of Glasgow, 99 Berkeley Street, Glasgow, G3 7HR, Berkeley Square, United Kingdom
| | - S Hilton
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Science Unit, University of Glasgow, 99 Berkeley Street, Glasgow, G3 7HR, Berkeley Square, United Kingdom
| | - S Chambers
- MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Science Unit, University of Glasgow, 99 Berkeley Street, Glasgow, G3 7HR, Berkeley Square, United Kingdom.
- School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
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Breuer C, Boronczyk F, Rumpf C. Dataset for the analysis of TV viewer response to live sport broadcasts and sponsor messages. Data Brief 2021; 38:107281. [PMID: 34458515 PMCID: PMC8377523 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2021.107281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper presents data for the estimation of TV viewers’ response to sponsor messages embedded in live sports broadcasts. The data were obtained from 11 participants who each watched a full live broadcast of a 2018 soccer World Cup group stage match in a laboratory. Viewer-related data include participants’ heart rate, galvanic skin response, and visual attention to sponsor signage visible on screen throughout the entire game. The data additionally include game-related variables such as the minute of play and live betting odds over the course of the game. The data are structured longitudinally along 11 clusters, with 62,380 observations in total. Given the scarcity of real-time measures in the research of sport sponsorship effectiveness, these data can be used to investigate TV viewers’ physiological response to live sports broadcasts in different stages of a game and improve the timing and targeting of commercial messages. For discussion and further information, please refer to the full-length article “Message personalization and real-time adaptation as next innovations in sport sponsorship management? How run-of-play and team affiliation affect viewer response” [1].
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Martino F, Chung A, Potter J, Heneghan T, Chisholm M, Riesenberg D, Gupta A, Backholer K. A state-wide audit of unhealthy sponsorship within junior sporting clubs in Victoria, Australia. Public Health Nutr 2021; 24:3797-804. [PMID: 34034837 DOI: 10.1017/S1368980021002159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To systematically audit the extent of unhealthy sponsorship within junior community sporting clubs and ascertain whether differences exist across geographical areas and sport types. DESIGN Club sponsorship data were assessed to determine the extent of unhealthy food/beverage, alcohol and gambling sponsorship using a cross-sectional design. Differences across geographical areas were assessed using logistic regressions. SETTING A stratified random sampling procedure was used to select thirty communities across the state of Victoria, Australia. Within each community, local clubs across the top eight participating junior sports were selected for audit. PARTICIPANTS Sponsorship data were collected from 191 club websites and Facebook pages in September-November 2019. RESULTS Unhealthy sponsorships represented 8·9 % of all identified sponsorship arrangements. A quarter of all clubs accepted alcohol (25·6 %) and unhealthy food sponsors (25·9 %), and one-fifth of all clubs accepted high-risk food (unhealthy brands with large market share) (18·1 %) and gambling sponsors (20·4 %). Acceptance of unhealthy sponsorship differed across sport types with football, netball, cricket and soccer clubs having the greatest numbers. Compared with metro areas, a significantly greater proportion of sporting clubs in regional areas were affiliated with unhealthy food (32·7 % v. 19·6 %) and high-risk food sponsors (26·9 % v. 9·8 %). A higher proportion of clubs in low socio-economic status (SES), compared with the high SES areas, were affiliated with alcohol (33·9 % v. 16·5 %) and gambling sponsors (27·4 % v. 12·6 %). CONCLUSION Victorian children participating in community junior sports are being exposed to marketing of unhealthy brands and products. Public health intervention is necessary to protect children from this exposure.
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Dixon H, Scully M, Wakefield M, Kelly B, Pettigrew S, Chapman K, Niederdeppe J. Can counter-advertising protect spectators of elite sport against the influence of unhealthy food and beverage sponsorship? A naturalistic trial. Soc Sci Med 2020; 266:113415. [PMID: 33126095 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVE Unhealthy, energy-dense nutrient-poor foods and beverages are heavily promoted through sport sponsorship. This naturalistic trial assessed whether exposing young adult spectators to various types of counter-advertising (CA) before watching an unhealthy food sponsored elite sporting event could diminish sponsorship effects and increase support for restrictions on sponsorship. METHOD Young adults (ages 18-29 years) who planned to watch the Australian Football League (AFL) Grand Final were recruited through an online panel and randomly assigned to one of four conditions: (A) control (neutral advertisement); (B) anti-industry CA (critiquing unhealthy food industry sponsorship of sport); (C) anti-product CA (critiquing the association of sports stars with unhealthy food); or (D) negative health effects CA (highlighting negative health consequences of unhealthy food consumption). Participants (N = 1316) completed a pre-test questionnaire and viewed their assigned CA online 1-3 days before watching the 2017 AFL Grand Final, which featured unhealthy food sponsorship. RESULTS Participants who reported watching the AFL Grand Final (n = 802) answered post-test measures within five days of the event. Results indicated that participants found the anti-industry CA more believable, attention-grabbing, reassuring and encouraging than the anti-product CA. The anti-industry CA promoted less favourable attitudes to sponsor brands, the anti-product CA promoted reduced intentions to purchase the fast-food sponsor brand, and the negative health effects CA reduced preferences for fast food in general compared to the control condition. CONCLUSIONS Anti-industry CA may detract from favourable attitudes to unhealthy food sponsor brands and negative health effects CA may detract from intentions to consume fast food in the face of unhealthy food sponsorship exposure. Such interventions may require higher dosage levels than applied in the present study to bolster spectators' resistance to the surfeit of unhealthy food sport sponsorship.
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Scully M, Wakefield M, Pettigrew S, Kelly B, Dixon H. Parents' reactions to unhealthy food v. pro-health sponsorship options for children's sport: an experimental study. Public Health Nutr 2020; 23:727-37. [PMID: 31915086 DOI: 10.1017/S1368980019003318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore parents' responses to sponsorship of children's sport by unhealthy food brands and two alternative pro-health sponsorship options. DESIGN Between-subjects online experiment with four sponsorship conditions: (i) non-food branding (control); (ii) unhealthy food branding; (iii) healthier food branding; (iv) public health nutrition campaign branding. Participants were shown a short video and a promotional flyer for a fictional junior sports programme, with sponsor content representing their assigned brand. Afterwards, participants were asked a series of questions assessing their brand awareness, brand attitudes and preference for food sponsor branded products. SETTING Australia. PARTICIPANTS Australian parents (n 1331) of children aged 6-9 years. RESULTS Compared with the control condition, unhealthy food sponsorship promoted increased awareness, branded product preferences and favourable attitudes towards unhealthy food sponsor brands. Healthier food sponsorship promoted similar effects for healthier food sponsor brands, except there was no significant increase in positive attitudes towards these brands. Sponsorship by public health nutrition campaigns promoted more negative attitudes towards unhealthy food sponsor brands and increased preference for healthier food sponsor branded products. Overall, healthier food sponsors and public health campaign sponsors were perceived to have better programme-sponsor fit and to be more appropriate sponsors of children's sport than unhealthy food sponsors. CONCLUSIONS Restrictions on unhealthy food sponsorship of children's sport are needed to prevent unhealthy food brands from exploiting junior sport sponsorship to enhance their appeal. Sponsorship of children's sport by healthier food brands or public health nutrition campaigns could help promote healthier food choices among parents.
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Dixon H, Scully M, Wakefield M, Kelly B, Pettigrew S, Chapman K, Niederdeppe J. The impact of unhealthy food sponsorship vs. pro-health sponsorship models on young adults' food preferences: a randomised controlled trial. BMC Public Health 2018; 18:1399. [PMID: 30572864 PMCID: PMC6302434 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-018-6298-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Unhealthy foods are promoted heavily, through food company sponsorship of elite sport, resulting in extensive exposure among young adults who are avid sport spectators. This study explores the effects of sponsorship of an elite sporting event by: (A) non-food brands (control), (B) unhealthy food brands, (C) healthier food brands, or (D) an obesity prevention public health campaign on young adults' brand awareness, attitudes, image perceptions, event-sponsor fit perceptions, and preference for food sponsors' products. METHODS A between-subjects web-based experiment was conducted, consisting of four sponsorship conditions (A through D) featuring three product categories within each condition. Australian adults (N = 1132) aged 18-24 years were recruited via a national online panel. Participants viewed promotional videos and news stories about an upcoming international, multi-sport event (with sponsor content edited to reflect each condition), completed a distractor task, and then answered questions assessing the response variables. Regression analyses were conducted to test for differences by sponsorship condition on the respective outcome measures. RESULTS Compared to the control condition, unhealthy food sponsorship promoted higher awareness of, and more favourable attitudes towards, unhealthy food sponsor brands. Unhealthy food sponsorship also led to greater perceived event-sponsor fit and transfer of perceptions of the sporting event to the unhealthy food sponsor brands, relative to the control group. Exposure to sponsorship for healthier foods produced similar sponsorship effects for healthier food sponsor brands, as well as prompting a significant increase in the proportion of young adults showing a preference for these products. Obesity prevention campaign sponsorship promoted higher campaign awareness and perceived event-sponsor fit, but did not impact food attitudes or preference for unhealthy versus healthier foods. CONCLUSION Findings suggest that restricting elite sport sponsorship to healthier food brands that meet set nutritional criteria could help promote healthier eating among young adults. Sporting organisations should be encouraged to seek sponsorship from companies who produce healthier food brands and government-funded social marketing campaigns. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) registration number ACTRN12618000368235 . Retrospectively registered 12 March 2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Dixon
- Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Maree Scully
- Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Melanie Wakefield
- Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Bridget Kelly
- Early Start, School of Health and Society, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Simone Pettigrew
- School of Psychology, Curtin University, Bentley, Western, Australia
| | - Kathy Chapman
- School of Life and Environment Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jeff Niederdeppe
- Department of Communication, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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Sainsbury E, Hendy C, Magnusson R, Colagiuri S. Public support for government regulatory interventions for overweight and obesity in Australia. BMC Public Health 2018; 18:513. [PMID: 29669551 PMCID: PMC5907362 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-018-5455-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There is growing recognition among public health circles of the need for regulatory action for overweight and obesity, but there has been limited research into whether the Australian public supports government intervention. This study aimed to determine the level of public support for food-related regulations for obesity, and to assess the determinants of support. Methods A nationally representative sample of Australian adults (n = 2011) was recruited by market research company Online Research Unit to complete an online survey. The survey measured respondents’ perception of the obesity problem in Australia, and level of agreement on a 5-point Likert scale (strongly disagree to strongly agree) with proposed regulations in three domains; advertising, sponsorship of children’s sport, and taxation. Binary logistic regression models were run to examine the association between demographic variables and support for regulation. Results The majority of respondents (92.5%) considered overweight and obesity to be a somewhat or very serious problem in Australia, and almost 90% felt there should be at least some government regulation to protect the public. Respondents agreed that the government should regulate food and beverage advertising (69.5%), with strongest support for restricting unhealthy food advertising to children (78.9%). There was lower support for prohibiting unhealthy food and beverage company sponsorship of children’s sport (63.4% agreement), and for taxing sugar-sweetened beverages (54.5%), although the majority were still in favour. Support for fiscal policies slightly increased if revenue was to be used for health purposes. Females and tertiary educated respondents showed stronger agreement with proposed regulations (p < 0.05). Conclusions The survey findings suggest the majority of the Australian population recognises obesity to be a serious health problem, and support government regulation of the food environment as a population-level preventative strategy. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-018-5455-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Sainsbury
- The Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise & Eating Disorders, Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, 2006, Australia.
| | - Chelsea Hendy
- The Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise & Eating Disorders, Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, 2006, Australia
| | - Roger Magnusson
- Sydney Law School, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, 2006, Australia
| | - Stephen Colagiuri
- The Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise & Eating Disorders, Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, 2006, Australia
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