RESUMEN
Background: Placing limitations on advertising of food and nonalcoholic drinks to children is an effective strategy in addressing childhood obesity. The industry maintains that further restrictions are unnecessary. Aims: To ascertain whether the advertising campaigns were successful according to the industry evaluations and more specifically the effects of marketing on children. Materials & Methods: A total of 117 case studies (1980-2016) published by the advertising industry which evaluate the effects of advertising campaigns were reviewed. This industry data source had been previously used to analyze the effects of alcohol advertising campaigns. The nutrition profile of the products was assessed by applying the World Health Organisation Nutrition Profile model designed to restrict the marketing of foods and beverages to children. Results: The food and drink industry advertising campaigns target specific consumers including children, use several persuasive marketing techniques (utilizing celebrities and gamification), often position unhealthy products as healthy, and lead to increased sales of the advertised product with good returns on investment. The health-related claims made, and aspects of the campaigns related to the marketing of the products to children are summarized. Discussion: Our analysis of food and non-alcoholic drinks case studies aligns with similar analyses of tobacco and alcohol advertising. Conclusion: This analysis, based on internal industry data, presents important evidence on the effects of advertising on consumption-related outcomes and the mechanisms by which they are achieved.
RESUMEN
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, conspiracy theories about the virus spread rapidly, and whilst governments across the globe put in place different restrictions and guidelines to contain the pandemic, these were not universally adhered to. This research examined the association between pandemic related risk perceptions, belief in conspiracy theories, and compliance with COVID-19 public guidelines amongst a UK sample (n = 368). Participants rated their level of concern for a series of potential risks during the pandemic (to the economy, personal health, freedom, media integrity and health risk to others). Participants also rated their level of belief in different conspiracy theories and self-reported their behaviour during the first UK lockdown. Mediational analyses showed that stronger belief in conspiracy theories was associated with perceptions of lower risk to health and higher risk to the economy and freedom, which in turn were associated with lower compliance with COVID-19 related governmental guidelines. Perception of information transparency risks did not mediate the association between belief in conspiracy theories and compliant behaviours. These results highlight the key role that risk perception may play in translating belief in conspiracy theories into low compliance with governmental COVID-19 related guidelines. Our findings suggest new patterns with respect to the relationship between conspiracy theory adherence and salience of different risk perceptions amidst the pandemic, which could have implications for the development of public health messaging and communication interventions.