Abstract
Background: The purpose of this study was to describe advertisements of children’s entertainment products in a popular magazine, Parents, and to determine if they illustrated behavior that was physically active or sedentary. Methods: The sample was comprised of Parents magazines (January 2010 to December 2015). Coding involved determining if the advertisement was promoting sedentary or active behavior. Results: Nearly all of the 169 advertisements in the sample (n = 166; 97.6%) were for products that depicted sedentary behavior. The most common types of entertainment products advertised were DVDs (n = 72), plastic stacking products (n = 18), books (n=14), and electronic devices (n = 13). The most popular theme that appeared in the advertisements was the entertainment product would enhance intelligence (n = 85; 50.3%, 95% CI: 0.43-0.58). The overwhelming majority (n = 136; 80.5%. 95% CI: 0.76-0.87) of the advertisements involved the presence of a character. Conclusion: This type of advertising does not contribute to the nation’s goals of increasing physical activity among youth.
Highlights
Recent research indicates that, in the United States, there are nearly 13 million obese children and adolescents.[1]
There is a correlation between sedentary behaviors and childhood obesity, which may be affected by the intake of foods with low nutritional value, by a dearth of physical activity, and increased contact with advertisements for foods of low nutritional quality.[2]
We extend our prior research focusing on parenting magazines.[11,12,13]
Summary
In the United States, there are nearly 13 million obese children and adolescents (ages 2 to 19 years old).[1] There is a correlation between sedentary behaviors and childhood obesity, which may be affected by the intake of foods with low nutritional value, by a dearth of physical activity (which can depend on the types of products they seek for entertainment), and increased contact with advertisements for foods of low nutritional quality.[2]. The purpose of this study was to describe advertisements of children’s entertainment products in a popular magazine, Parents, and to determine if they illustrated behavior that was physically active or sedentary. Coding involved determining if the advertisement was promoting sedentary or active behavior. Conclusion: This type of advertising does not contribute to the nation’s goals of increasing physical activity among youth
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