A day in the life: exploring exposure to unhealthy food marketing in youth living in Newfoundland and Labrador through a novel mobile application

Abstract

Children are exposed to food marketing in multiple settings, influencing their food attitudes and behaviours. This thesis aimed to test the feasibility of a mobile application to assess food marketing among youth aged 13-17 years (Manuscript 1) and explore youth perspectives and experiences with food messaging (Manuscript 2). Twenty-three participants took photos of food marketing they saw over three days. Each completed a feedback survey on feasibility (ease of use, convenience, responsiveness, navigation, training resources, and willingness to use again) and a focus group sharing their experiences with the app and food messaging. Thematic analyses, descriptive analyses, app-derived feasibility metrics and Fisher’s exact test were conducted in Manuscript 1. Results showed high response and completion rates (85.2% and 92%). It also showed high usability and acceptability of the application. Focus groups showed satisfaction with the application’s interface and functionality. Photo content analysis and focus group thematic analysis were conducted in Manuscript 2. Focus groups showed that deals, celebrities and characters influenced product purchases. Price-based promotions were the most common marketing indicator in participants’ photos (34%). This thesis found that the mobile application has potential for monitoring food marketing across multiple settings and showed how marketing messages encourage unhealthy food intake.