Top

BMC Public Health

Published in:

Open Access 01-12-2015 | Research article

Children’s implicit recall of junk food, alcohol and gambling sponsorship in Australian sport

Authors: Amy Bestman, Samantha L. Thomas, Melanie Randle, Stuart D. M. Thomas

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2015

Abstract

Background

In Australia, sport is saturated by the promotion of junk food, alcohol and gambling products. This is particularly evident on player jerseys. The effect of this advertising on children, who are exposed to these messages while watching sport, has not been thoroughly investigated. The aim of this research study was to investigate: (1) the extent to which children implicitly recalled shirt sponsors with the correct sporting team; (2) whether children associated some types of sponsors with certain sporting codes more than others; and (3) whether age of the children influenced the correct recall of sponsoring brands and teams.

Method

This experimental study conducted in New South Wales, Australia used projective techniques to measure the implicit recall of team sponsorship relationships of 85 children aged 5–12 years. Participants were asked to arrange two sets of magnets – one which contained sporting teams and one which contained brand logos – in the manner deemed most appropriate by them. Children were not given any prompts relating to sporting sponsorship relationships.

Results

Three quarters (77 %) of the children were able to identify at least one correct shirt sponsor. Children associated alcohol and gambling brands more highly with the more popular sporting code, the National Rugby League compared to the Australian Football League sporting code. Results showed that age had an effect on number of shirt sponsors correctly recalled with 9–12 year olds being significantly more likely than 5–8 year olds to correctly identify team sponsors.

Conclusions

Given children’s ability to implicitly recall shirt sponsors in a sporting context, Australian sporting codes should examine their current sponsorship relationships to reduce the number of unhealthy commodity shirt sponsors. While there is some regulation that protects children from the marketing of unhealthy commodity products, these findings suggest that children are still exposed to and recall these sponsorship relationships. Results suggest that the promotion of unhealthy commodity products during sporting matches is contributing to increased awareness amongst children of unhealthy commodity brands. Further investigation is required to examine the extent and impact of marketing initiatives during televised sporting matches on children.

Gorn GJ, Florsheim R. The Effects of Commercials for Adult Products on Children. J Consum Res. 1985;11(4):962–7.

Ward S. Consumer Socialization. J Consum Res. 1974;1(2):1–14.

Moschis GP, Churchill GA. Consumer Socialization: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis. J Mark Res. 1978;15(4):599–609.

Moschis GP, Moore RL. Decision Making Among the Young: A Socialization Perspective. J Consum Res. 1979;6(2):101–12.

Singh N, Kwon IW, Pereira A. Cross-Cultural Consumer Socialization: An Exploratory Study of Socialization Influences across Three Ethnic Groups. Psychol Mark. 2003;20(10):867–81.

John DR. Consumer Socialization of Children: A Retrospective Look at Twenty‐Five Years of Research. J Consum Res. 1999;26(3):183–213.

Kunkel D, Gantz W. Assessing compliance with industry self-regulation of television advertising to children. J Appl Commun Res. 1993;21(2):148–62.

Moore ES. Children and the Changing World of Advertising. J Bus Ethics. 2004;52(2):161–7.

Valkenburg PM, Cantor J. The development of a child into a consumer. J Appl Dev Psychol. 2001;22(1):61–72.

10.

Cancer Council. Food marketing to children. 2014, Retrived 13.10.14 from [http://www.cancercouncil.com.au/21448/news-media/get-the-facts/cancer-cancerprevention-get-the-facts/food-marketing-to-children-2/]

11.

Strasburger VC. Children and TV advertising: nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2001;22(3):185–7.PubMed

12.

Jolly R. Marketing Obesity? Junk Food Advertising and Kids. Australia: Department of Parliamentary Services; 2011.

13.

Lawlor MA, Prothero A. Exploring children's understanding of television advertising – beyond the advertiser's perspective. Eur J Mark. 2008;42(11/12):1203–23.

14.

Buijzen M, Valkenburg PM. The impact of television advertising on childrens’ Christmas wishes. J Broadcast Electron Media. 2000;44(3):456.

15.

Oates C, Blades M, Gunter B. Children and television advertising: when do they understand persuasive intent? J Consum Behav. 2002;1(3):238–45.

16.

Moses LJ, Baldwin DA. What can the study of cognitive development reveal about children’s ability to appreciate and cope with advertising? J Public Pol Market. 2005;24(2):186–201.

17.

Wright P, Friestad M, Boush DM. The development of marketplace persuasion knowledge in children, adolescents, and young adults. J Public Pol Market. 2005;24(2):222–33.

18.

Moore ES, Lutz RJ. Children, Advertising, and Product Experiences: A Multimethod Inquiry. J Consum Res. 2000;27(1):31–48.

19.

Story M, French S. Food advertising and marketing directed at children and adolescents in the US. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2004;1(1):3.PubMedPubMedCentral

20.

Valkenburg PM. Media and youth consumerism. J Adolesc Health. 2000;27(2):52–6.PubMed

21.

Robertson TS, Rossiter JR. Children and commercial persuasion: an attribution theory analysis. J Consum Res. 1974;1(1):13–20.

22.

Owen L, Lewis C, Auty S, Buijzen M. Is children’s understanding of nontraditional advertising comparable to their understanding of television advertising? J Public Pol Market. 2013;32(2):195–206.

23.

Meenaghan T. Understanding sponsorship effects. Psychol Mark. 2001;18(2):95–122.

24.

Meenaghan T. Sponsorship – Legitimising the Medium. Eur J Mark. 1991;25(11):5–10.

25.

Cornwell TB, Nickell D. Sponsorship-linked marketing: a set of research propositions. J Bus Ind Market. 2011;26(8):577–89.

26.

Dean DH. Associating the corporation with a charitable event through sponsorship: measuring the effects on corporate community relations. J Advert. 2002;31(4):77–87.

27.

Madrigal R. The influence of social alliances with sports teams on intentions to purchase corporate sponsors’ products. J Advert. 2000;29(4):13–24.

28.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Australia’s Health. Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare; 2012.

29.

Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2007–08 National Health Survey: Summary of Results. Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics; 2009.

30.

Australian Parliamentary Committee. Senate joint select committee on gambling reform: inquiry into the advertising and promotion of gambling during sport; 2013.

31.

McCreanor T. Consuming identities: Alcohol marketing and the commodification of youth experience. Addiction Res Theor. 2005;13(6):579–90.

32.

Moore SM, Ohtsuka K. Beliefs about control over gambling among young people, and their relation to problem gambling. Psychol Addict Behav. 1999;13(4):339–47.

33.

Thomas S. Parents and adolescents discuss gambling advertising: a qualitative study. Victoria: Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation; 2014.

34.

Anderson P, de Bruijn A, Angus K, Gordon R, Hastings G. Impact of alcohol advertising and media exposure on adolescent alcohol use: a systematic review of longitudinal studies. Alcohol Alcoholism. 2009;44(3):229–43.PubMed

35.

Collins RL, Ellickson PL, McCaffrey D, Hambarsoomians K. Early Adolescent Exposure to Alcohol Advertising and Its Relationship to Underage Drinking. J Adolesc Health. 2007;40(6):527–34.PubMedPubMedCentral

36.

Stacy AW, Zogg JB, Unger JB, Dent CW. Exposure to televised alcohol ads and subsequent adolescent alcohol use. Am J Health Behav. 2004;28(6):498–509.PubMed

37.

Wyllie A, Zhang JF, Casswell S. Responses to televised alcohol advertisements associated with drinking behaviour of 10-17-year-olds. Addiction. 1998;93(3):361–71.PubMed

38.

Derevensky JL, Gupta R. Internet gambling amongst adolescents: a growing concern. Int J Ment Heal Addict. 2007;5(2):93–101.

39.

Felsher JR, Derevensky JL, Gupta R. Lottery playing amongst youth: implications for prevention and social policy. J Gambl Stud. 2004;20(2):127–53.PubMed

40.

Maher A, Wilson N, Signal L, Thomson G. Patterns of sports sponsorship by gambling, alcohol and food companies: an Internet survey. BMC Public Health. 2006;6(1):95–5.PubMedPubMedCentral

41.

White V, Hayman J. Australian secondary students’ use of alcohol in 2005: National Drug Strategy Monograph Series No. 58. Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing: Canberra; 2006.

42.

Delfabbro P, Thrupp L. The social determinants of youth gambling in South Australian adolescents. J Adolesc. 2003;26(3):313–30.PubMed

43.

Kelly B, Baur LA, Bauman AE, King L, Chapman K, Smith BJ. Food and drink sponsorship of children's sport in Australia: who pays? Health Promot Int. 2011;26(2):188–95.PubMed

44.

Carter MA, Signal L, Edwards R, Hoek J, Maher A. Food, fizzy, and football: promoting unhealthy food and beverages through sport - a New Zealand case study. BMC Public Health. 2013;13(1):126–6.PubMedPubMedCentral

45.

Pettigrew S, Pescud M, Rosenberg M, Ferguson R, Houghton S. Public support for restrictions on fast food company sponsorship of community events. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2012;21(4):609–17.PubMed

46.

Kelly B, Baur LA, Bauman AE, King L, Chapman K, Smith BJ. Restricting unhealthy food sponsorship: Attitudes of the sporting community. Health Pol. 2012;104(3):288–95.

47.

Kelly B, Baur LA, Bauman AE, King L, Chapman K, Smith BJ. “Food company sponsors are kind, generous and cool”: (mis)conceptions of junior sports players. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2011;8(1):95.PubMedPubMedCentral

48.

McClure AC, Stoolmiller M, Tanski SE, Worth KA, Sargent JD. Alcohol-branded merchandise and its association with drinking attitudes and outcomes in US adolescents. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2009;163(3):211–7.PubMedPubMedCentral

49.

Pettigrew S, Rosenberg M, Ferguson R, Houghton S, Wood L. Game on: do children absorb sports sponsorship messages? Public Health Nutr. 2013;16(12):2197–204.PubMed

50.

Sherriff J, Griffiths D, Daube M. Cricket: notching up runs for food and alcohol companies? Aust N Z J Public Health. 2010;31(1):19.

51.

Thomas S, Lewis S, Duong J, McLeod C. Sports betting marketing during sporting events: a stadium and broadcast census of Australian Football League matches. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2012;36(2):145–52.PubMed

52.

Lindsay S, Thomas S, Lewis S, Westberg K, Moodie R, Jones S. Eat, drink and gamble: marketing messages about 'risky' products in an Australian major sporting series. BMC Public Health. 2013;13(1):719.PubMedPubMedCentral

53.

Milner L, Hing N, Vitartas P, Lamont M. Embedded gambling promotion in Australian football broadcasts: An exploratory study. Comm Polit Cult. 2013;46(2):177–98.

54.

Australian Communications and Media Authority. Children’s Viewing Patterns on Commercial, Free-to-air and Subscription Television: Report analyzing audience and ratings data for 2001, 2005 and 2006. Melbourne: Australian Communications and Media Authority; 2007.

55.

Haire M. Projective Techniques in Marketing Research. J Mark. 1950;14(5):649–56.

56.

Queensland State of Origin: Sponsors; 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2014 from; [http://www.qrl.com.au/corporate/sponsors.html]

57.

Crompton JL. Sponsorship of Sport By Tobacco and Alcohol Companies: a Review of the Issues. J Sport Soc Issues. 1993;17(3):148–67.

58.

Shani D, Sandler DM. Ambush marketing: is confusion to blame for the flickering of the flame? Psychol Market. 1998;15(4):367–83.

59.

Chapman K, Nicholas P, Supramaniam R. How much food advertising is there on Australian television? Health Promot Int. 2006;21(3):172–80.PubMed

60.

Dixon HG, Scully ML, Wakefield MA, White VM, Crawford DA. The effects of television advertisements for junk food versus nutritious food on children's food attitudes and preferences. Soc Sci Med. 2007;65(7):1311–23.PubMed

61.

Halford JCG, Gillespie J, Brown V, Pontin EE, Dovey TM. Effect of television advertisements for foods on food consumption in children. Appetite. 2004;42(2):221–5.PubMed

62.

Chen M, Grube JW, Bersamin M. Alcohol Advertising: What Makes It Attractive to Youth? J Health Commun. 2005;10(6):553–65.PubMed

63.

Nash AS, Pine KJ, Messer DJ. Television alcohol advertising: do children really mean what they say? Br J Dev Psychol. 2009;27(Pt 1):85–104.PubMed

64.

Aitken PP, Leathar DS, Squair SI. Children's awareness of cigarette brand sponsorship of sports and games in the UK. Health Educ Res. 1986;1(3):203–11.

65.

Ledwith F. Does tobacco sports sponsorship on television act as advertising to children? Health Educ J. 1984;43(4):85–8.

66.

Charlton A, While D, Kelly S. Boys’ smoking and cigarette-brand-sponsored motor racing. Lancet. 1997;350(9089):1474–4.PubMed

Title: Children’s implicit recall of junk food, alcohol and gambling sponsorship in Australian sport
Authors: Amy Bestman
Samantha L. Thomas
Melanie Randle
Stuart D. M. Thomas
Publication date: 01-12-2015
Publisher: BioMed Central
Published in: BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2015
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-015-2348-3

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on sleep in brain health

Springer Medicine

Children’s implicit recall of junk food, alcohol and gambling sponsorship in Australian sport

Abstract

Background

Method

Results

Conclusions

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on sleep in brain health

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Method

Results

Conclusions

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 1/2015

The evidence base of primary research in public health emergency preparedness: a scoping review and stakeholder consultation

Factors associated with preventive behaviors regarding Lyme disease in Canada and Switzerland: a comparative study

Identifying binge drinkers based on parenting dimensions and alcohol-specific parenting practices: building classifiers on adolescent-parent paired data

KIDS OUT! Protocol of a brief school-based intervention to promote physical activity and to reduce screen time in a sub-cohort of Finnish eighth graders

Implementation of strategies to increase adolescents’ access to fruit and vegetables at school: process evaluation findings from the Boost study

An evaluation of evidence-based paediatric injury prevention policies across Canada