TY  - JOUR
AU  - Karupaiah, Tilakavati
AU  - Rahman, Shah Md Mahfuzur
AU  - Zhang, Juan
AU  - Kumar, Naveen
AU  - Jamiyan, Batjargal
AU  - Pokharel, Raj Kumar
AU  - Borazon, Elaine Quintana
AU  - Thoradeniya, Tharanga
AU  - Tho, Nguyen Thi Thi
AU  - Mackay, Sally
AU  - Kelly, Bridget
AU  - Swinburn, Boyd
AU  - Chinna, Karuthan
AU  - Dashzeveg, Enkhmyagmar
AU  - Ong, Gild Rick
AU  - Narayanan, Sreelakshmi Sankara
AU  - Sameeha, Mohd Jamil
AU  - Uddin, Mohammad Ahsan
AU  - Tang, Yuxiang
AU  - Sharma, Naresh Kumar
AU  - Pokharel, Rishav
AU  - Rome, Anna Christine
AU  - Wickramasinghe, V Pujitha
AU  - Huy, Phan Thanh
PY  - 2024
DA  - 2024/12/4
TI  - Extent and Nature of Television Food and Nonalcoholic Beverage Marketing in 9 Asian Countries: Cross-Sectional Study Using a Harmonized Approach
JO  - JMIR Pediatr Parent
SP  - e63410
VL  - 7
KW  - children
KW  - Asian food marketing
KW  - television
KW  - unhealthy food
KW  - WHO nutrient profile model
KW  - World Health Organization
KW  - pediatrics
KW  - commercial
KW  - Asia
KW  - unhealthy
KW  - nutrition
KW  - diet
KW  - market
KW  - advertisement
KW  - food
KW  - beverage
KW  - consumption
AB  - Background: Rising childhood obesity rates in Asia are adding risk for the future adult burden of obesity and noncommunicable diseases. Weak policies across most Asian countries enable unrestricted marketing of obesogenic foods and beverages to children. Television is the common medium for food marketing to reach this audience. Objective: This study aimed to assess the extent and nature of television food and nonalcoholic beverage marketing in 9 Asian countries (Bangladesh, China, India, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam) with capacity building support from the International Network for Food and Obesity/Non-Communicable Disease Research, Monitoring and Action Support, who enabled harmonization of data collection method and content analyses. Methods: Advertised foods were categorized as permitted or not permitted based on the nutrient profile models established by the World Health Organization regional offices for South-East Asia (SEARO) and the World Health Organization regional offices for Western Pacific (WPRO). Overall rates of food advertisements (advertisements per hour per channel) and persuasive strategy use were analyzed along with comparisons between children’s peak viewing time (PVT) and non-PVT. Results: Cross-country comparisons, irrespective of country income level, indicated that not permitted food advertising dominated children’s popular television channels, especially during PVT with rates as per WPRO or SEARO criteria ranging from 2.40/2.29 (Malaysia) to 9.70/9.41 advertisements per hour per channel (the Philippines). Persuasive strategy rates were also comparatively higher during PVT. Sugar-sweetened beverages, sugar-containing solid foods, and high salt- and fat-containing snacks and fast foods were frequently advertised. Evaluation of the application of WPRO and SEARO nutrient profile models identified inconsistencies due to regional taste and cuisine variations across Asia. Conclusions: This study clearly showed that unhealthy food marketing through popular children’s television channels is widely occurring in Asia and is a clear breach of child rights. Evidence outcomes will benefit advocacy toward stronger policy regulations to control unhealthy food marketing and strengthen strategies to promote a healthier food environment for Asia’s children. 
SN  - 2561-6722
UR  - https://pediatrics.jmir.org/2024/1/e63410
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/63410
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/39630493
DO  - 10.2196/63410
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/63410
ER  -