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The use of sports references in marketing of food and beverage products in supermarkets.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Bragg, MA; Liu, PJ; Roberto, CA; Sarda, V; Harris, JL; Brownell, KD
Published in: Public health nutrition
April 2013

Food marketing has been identified as a significant driver of the childhood obesity epidemic. The purpose of the present study was to (i) conduct a content analysis of the types of sports references that appear on supermarket food and beverage products and (ii) assess each product's nutritional and marketing profile.This was a descriptive study. Every product featuring sports references on the packaging was purchased in two major supermarkets during 2010. A content analysis was conducted and nutritional evaluations were made based on the Nutrient Profile Model, a validated nutrition model. Marketing data were obtained from The Nielsen Company.Two major supermarkets in Connecticut, USA.Food and beverage products (n 102) were selected from two supermarkets.The 102 products (fifty-three foods and forty-nine beverages) had sports references as part of their packaging: 72·5 % featured a character exercising, 42·2 % were endorsed by a professional sports entity and 34·0 % were child-targeted. The median nutrition score for food products was 36 (1 = unhealthiest and 100 = healthiest; scores of ≥63 are considered healthy according to this model). More than two-thirds of beverages (69·4 %) were 100 % sugar-sweetened. Children saw significantly more commercials for these products than adults.Companies place sports figures on food and beverage products that are child-targeted and unhealthy.

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Published In

Public health nutrition

DOI

EISSN

1475-2727

ISSN

1368-9800

Publication Date

April 2013

Volume

16

Issue

4

Start / End Page

738 / 742

Related Subject Headings

  • Television
  • Sports
  • Obesity
  • Nutritive Value
  • Nutrition & Dietetics
  • Humans
  • Food Labeling
  • Food
  • Connecticut
  • Beverages
 

Citation

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Bragg, M. A., Liu, P. J., Roberto, C. A., Sarda, V., Harris, J. L., & Brownell, K. D. (2013). The use of sports references in marketing of food and beverage products in supermarkets. Public Health Nutrition, 16(4), 738–742. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1368980012003163
Bragg, Marie A., Peggy J. Liu, Christina A. Roberto, Vishnu Sarda, Jennifer L. Harris, and Kelly D. Brownell. “The use of sports references in marketing of food and beverage products in supermarkets.Public Health Nutrition 16, no. 4 (April 2013): 738–42. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1368980012003163.
Bragg MA, Liu PJ, Roberto CA, Sarda V, Harris JL, Brownell KD. The use of sports references in marketing of food and beverage products in supermarkets. Public health nutrition. 2013 Apr;16(4):738–42.
Bragg, Marie A., et al. “The use of sports references in marketing of food and beverage products in supermarkets.Public Health Nutrition, vol. 16, no. 4, Apr. 2013, pp. 738–42. Epmc, doi:10.1017/s1368980012003163.
Bragg MA, Liu PJ, Roberto CA, Sarda V, Harris JL, Brownell KD. The use of sports references in marketing of food and beverage products in supermarkets. Public health nutrition. 2013 Apr;16(4):738–742.
Journal cover image

Published In

Public health nutrition

DOI

EISSN

1475-2727

ISSN

1368-9800

Publication Date

April 2013

Volume

16

Issue

4

Start / End Page

738 / 742

Related Subject Headings

  • Television
  • Sports
  • Obesity
  • Nutritive Value
  • Nutrition & Dietetics
  • Humans
  • Food Labeling
  • Food
  • Connecticut
  • Beverages