Health and Nutrient Content Claims in Food Advertisements on Hispanic and Mainstream Prime-time Television
Abstract
Objective
Characterize frequency and type of health and nutrient content claims in prime-time weeknight Spanish- and English-language television advertisements from programs shown in 2003 with a high viewership by women aged 18 to 35 years.
Design
Comparative content analysis design was used to analyze 95 hours of Spanish-language and 72 hours of English-language television programs (netting 269 and 543 food ads, respectively).
Main Outcome Measures
A content analysis instrument was used to gather information on explicit health and nutrient content claims: nutrition information only; diet-disease; structure-function; processed food health outcome; good for one's health; health care provider endorsement.
Analysis
Chi-square statistics detected statistically significant differences between the groups.
Results
Compared to English-language television, Spanish-language television aired significantly more food advertisements containing nutrition information and health, processed food/health, and good for one's health claims. Samples did not differ in the rate of diet/disease, structure/function, or health care provider endorsement claims.
Conclusions and Implications
Findings indicate that Spanish-language television advertisements provide viewers with significantly more nutrition information than English-language network advertisements. Potential links between the deteriorating health status of Hispanics acculturating into US mainstream culture and their exposure to the less nutrition-based messaging found in English-language television should be explored.
2Nutritional Sciences Department, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
3Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Children's Hospital Boston, Massachusetts
Address for correspondence: Jodie Abbatangelo-Gray, 267 W 89th St, 6D, New York, NY 10024; Phone: (212) 600-1481
Funding for this paper was provided in part by the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, the National Cancer Institute, the American Association of University Women, and the Leadership Education in Adolescent Health Project grant T71 MC 00009-16 from HRSA/Maternal and Child Health Bureau.
ABSTRACT