Grant: Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

Unhealthy food and beverage marketing contributes to poor dietary habits and childhood obesity. Physical activity is often used in food marketing practices to minimize the perceived impact of unhealthy diets on health and weight. Children and adults believe foods to be healthier when they see physical activity on food advertisements. Sport sponsorship, believed to be one of the most powerful marketing techniques, is becoming more common. The World Health Organization recommends restricting marketing to children in settings where children gather, including sport settings, but current regulations in Canada do not adequately protect children. This study will: (1) develop a validated tool to measure food and beverage marketing in sport settings, (2) investigate what and how foods and beverages are promoted in recreation facilities and how marketing is related to food and beverage sales, and (3) explore parents' experiences and perceptions of food and beverage marketing in and around children's sports in recreation facilities. The findings from this study will support recreation facilities fulfilling their mandate to promote health, and support existing actions taken to improve foods and beverages they sell. As well, it will support parents and schools in their efforts to provide children with healthy environments. Restricting marketing to children is believed to be one of the most cost-effective population interventions to reduce childhood obesity, chronic disease, and improve quality of life. This research project will provide necessary evidence to develop and implement policy and actions to reduce children's exposure to powerful unhealthy food marketing. It will provide valuable knowledge to the dietetic profession, and other sectors including sports and recreation, food industry, and decision makers in order to understand socio-behavioural determinants of food choice and create supportive environments for healthy dietary choices outside of the home.