An Audit of Food and Beverage Advertising on the Sydney Metropolitan Train Network: Regulation and Policy Implications

BMC Public Health, Vol. 17, No. 490, 2017

Sydney Law School Research Paper No. 17/45

12 Pages Posted: 4 Jun 2017

See all articles by Emma Sainsbury

Emma Sainsbury

The Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise & Eating Disorders

Stephen Colagiuri

University of Sydney - Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise & Eating Disorders

Roger Magnusson

The University of Sydney - Faculty of Law

Date Written: June 1, 2017

Abstract

Background: Increased marketing of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods has been identified as a driver of the global obesity epidemic and a priority area for preventative efforts. Local and international research has focused on the unhealthiness of television advertising, with limited research into the growing outdoor advertising industry. This study aimed to examine the extent of food and beverage advertising on the Sydney metropolitan train network, and to assess the nutritional quality of advertised products against the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating.

Methods: All 178 train stations on the Sydney metropolitan train network were surveyed in summer and winter. A survey tool was developed to collect information for all advertisements on and immediately surrounding the train station. Information included product, brand, location and advertisement format. Advertisements were coded by nutrition category, product subcategory and size. Chi-square, ANOVA and ANCOVA tests were conducted to test for differences in the amount of food and beverage advertising by season and area socioeconomic status (SES).

Results: Of 6931 advertisements identified, 1915 (27.6%) were promoting a food or beverage. The majority of food and beverage advertisements were for unhealthy products; 84.3% were classified as discretionary, 8.0% core and 7.6% miscellaneous. Snack foods and sugar-sweetened beverages were the most frequently advertised products, regardless of season. Coca-Cola and PepsiCo were the largest advertisers on the network, contributing 10.9% and 6.5% of total advertisements respectively. There was no difference in the mean number of food and beverage advertisements by area SES, but the proportion of advertising that was for discretionary foods was highest in low SES areas (41.9%, p < 0.001).

Conclusions: The results indicate that, irrespective of season, food and beverage advertisements across the Sydney metropolitan train network are overwhelmingly for unhealthy (discretionary) products. The results of this study highlight the inadequacy of Australia’s voluntary self-regulatory system in protecting members of the public from exposure to unhealthy food advertising. Regulatory action by government, such as placing a cap on the amount of unhealthy food advertisements, or requiring a proportion of all advertising to be for the promotion of healthy foods, is required to address this issue.

Keywords: Australia, Advertisements, Food, Beverage, Train stations, Unhealthy, Regulation

JEL Classification: K10, K30, K32

Suggested Citation

Sainsbury, Emma and Colagiuri, Stephen and Magnusson, Roger, An Audit of Food and Beverage Advertising on the Sydney Metropolitan Train Network: Regulation and Policy Implications (June 1, 2017). BMC Public Health, Vol. 17, No. 490, 2017, Sydney Law School Research Paper No. 17/45, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2979072

Emma Sainsbury

The Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise & Eating Disorders ( email )

Charles Perkins Centre, D17
The University of Sydney
Sydney NSW 2006
Australia

Stephen Colagiuri

University of Sydney - Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise & Eating Disorders ( email )

Charles Perkins Centre, D17
The University of Sydney
Sydney NSW 2006
Australia

Roger Magnusson (Contact Author)

The University of Sydney - Faculty of Law ( email )

New Law Building, F10
The University of Sydney
Sydney, NSW 2006
Australia

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