Choice, Motives, and Mixed Messages: A Qualitative Photo-Based Inquiry of Parents' Perceptions of Food and Beverage Marketing to Children in Sport and Recreation Facilities.

Rachel Prowse,Valerie Carson,Kim D Raine,Dana Lee Olstad,Kate Storey

doi:10.3390/ijerph19052592

Abstract

Unhealthy food and beverage availability and sponsorship undermine healthy food practices in sport and recreation. We conducted a focused ethnography with reflexive photo-interviewing to examine parents’ awareness, reactions, and experiences of food and beverage marketing in and around their children’s physical activity in public sport and recreation facilities. Eleven parents took photos of what they thought their facility was ‘saying about food and eating’. Photos guided semi-structured interviews on the ‘4Ps’ of marketing (product, pricing, placement, promotion). Thematic analysis was conducted by holistic coding followed by in vivo, versus, and value coding. Photo-taking increased parents’ awareness of food marketing in facilities. Reactions to food and beverage marketing were positive or negative depending on parents’ perspectives of healthy food availability (choice), marketers’ motives, and mixed messages within the facility. Parents experienced their children requesting ‘junk’ food at the facility leading to parents actively attempting to reduce the frequency of these requests. Healthy eating promotion in sport and recreation facilities was misaligned with the foods and beverages available which contributed to parents’ distrust of social marketing initiatives. Critically evaluating the alignment of commercial and social marketing in recreation and sport may help inform effective healthy eating interventions that are accepted and supported by parents.

Highlights

IntroductionRecreation and sport facilities (RSF) are ideal spaces to encourage healthy practices among children as they often provide amenities for both play (e.g., gymnasiums, sports fields) and eating (e.g., concessions, canteens, cafes, vending machines)
Introduction published maps and institutional affilPromoting healthy eating and physical activity are longstanding public health goals [1].Recreation and sport facilities (RSF) are ideal spaces to encourage healthy practices among children as they often provide amenities for both play and eating
Reactions to food marketing in facilities varied among parents and were influenced by their perspectives of healthy food availability, marketers’

Summary

Introduction

Recreation and sport facilities (RSF) are ideal spaces to encourage healthy practices among children as they often provide amenities for both play (e.g., gymnasiums, sports fields) and eating (e.g., concessions, canteens, cafes, vending machines). Research shows that parents with children who are engaged in organized sports struggle to provide healthy meals for their family due to scheduling demands of training and competition [2,3]. Home-cooked meals and snacks are often forgone, relying on convenience items, fast food meals, or foods and beverages available in vending and concessions at RSF [2–4]. Healthy eating is poorly supported in publicly funded RSF as foods and beverages available are usually considered unhealthy [5]—high in calories and nutrients of concern (e.g., total fat, saturated fat, sugar, and sodium) and low in desirable nutrients (e.g., protein, and fibre) [6].

Results

Discussion

Conclusion