Project 467252

Background: Unhealthy food marketing to children adversely affects their diet quality and health. The negative impacts of this marketing may be amplified on digital media, which allows industry to use artificial intelligence (AI) to market unhealthy food to children in covert ways. As such, Health Canada is developing regulations to prohibit digital marketing of unhealthy food that appeals to children 13 years. However, it is not known if prohibiting unhealthy food marketing on digital media that appeals to children will offer sufficient protection, as this question has never been investigated. Goals: For this research, a double-blind, 3-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be conducted to examine the impact of digital marketing of unhealthy food that appeals to children on their dietary intake, awareness of, and attitudes towards marketed foods. Methods: Children (n=678; 6-12 years) in Calgary, Toronto and Montreal will be randomized to view digital marketing of unhealthy food that does (n=226) or does not (n=226) appeal to children, or to non-food marketing (n=226). The outcome of this study includes how this marketing affects childrens intake of snacks, their diet quality, and their awareness of, and attitudes towards marketed foods. Expected results: This research will inform equity-oriented policy to protect children from unhealthy food marketing by showing whether prohibiting digital marketing of unhealthy food that appeals to children is an effective target for Health Canada policy.