Nutrition in food advertising: content analysis of a Canadian women's magazine, 1928-1986
1989
Barr, S.I.
I conducted a content analysis of a women's magazine to explore trends over time in food advertising with particular attention to the emphasis placed on nutrition. I developed and validated a coding form, and coded all food and beverage advertisements (n = 5175) that appeared between 1928 and 1986 in four issues per year of a nationally circulated women's magazine. I characterized advertisements with regard to the type of product represented (e.g., by food group) and with regard to the type of promotional statements used in the advertisement. Results indicated that changes have occurred in the types of products advertised and in the messages used to promote them. Major trends in the types of products advertised included decreased advertising for food ingredients and increased representation of non-nutritious beverages, and of desserts and foods high in fat and sugar. The most common type of promotional message was the consumer-related message (e.g., appeals to taste and convenience). The emphasis of nutrition-related messages changed over time: There were fewer messages about general health and nutrition and basic nutrients, and recently there has been an increase in emphasis on avoiding certain dietary components. I concluded that advertisements in this women's magazine do not portray nutritionally positive food choices to a greater extent than in the past.
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