Recall of food marketing on videogame livestreaming platforms: Associations with adolescent diet-related behaviours and health

Evans, Rebecca ORCID: 0000-0001-8894-5938, Christiansen, Paul, Masterson, Travis, Pollack, Catherine, Albadri, Sondos ORCID: 0000-0001-6516-9497 and Boyland, Emma ORCID: 0000-0001-8384-4994 (2023) Recall of food marketing on videogame livestreaming platforms: Associations with adolescent diet-related behaviours and health. APPETITE, 186. 106584-.

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2023.106584

Abstract

Digital media has become an integral part of adolescents' lives. Mirroring this trend, food and non-alcoholic beverage (hereafter: food) brands increasingly promote products in digital media to maximise reach with young consumers. Videogame livestreaming platforms, where individuals can broadcast or watch streamed videogame footage, are a growing form of digital media. The top three platforms (market share by hours watched) are Twitch (72%), YouTube Gaming (13%), and Facebook Gaming Live (9%), with a combined 34.6 billion hours watched in 2021. These platforms represent a hybridisation of two popular digital trends amongst teenagers: viewing online video content and playing videogames. On these platforms, gaming influencers promote food brands and products, with energy drinks and fast-food restaurants representing the most frequently promoted categories. Evidence suggests that food marketing via Twitch is associated with food craving, purchasing and consumption in adults. Yet, despite the evident teenage appeal and prevalence of food marketing on these platforms, research is yet to explore its associations with adolescent eating behaviour. Adolescents (n = 490, M<sub>age</sub> = 16.81, 30.2% female) completed an online cross-sectional questionnaire exploring their recall of food marketing on the top three videogame livestreaming platforms, and relevant behavioural (purchase, consumption) and health (Body Mass Index) outcomes. Structural equation modelling was used to explore hierarchical relationships between the key variables. Results showed that recall of unhealthy food marketing on these platforms was significantly associated with purchase and consumption of marketed food categories. Attitudes towards unhealthy foods mediated this relationship. Findings are the first to demonstrate the relationships between unhealthy food marketing via videogame livestreaming platforms and adolescent eating behaviours, which has implications for the design of policies to restrict digital food marketing to young people.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Gaming, Livestreaming, Food marketing, Influencer marketing, Adolescents, Digital media
Divisions:	Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Life Courses and Medical Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Life Courses and Medical Sciences > School of Dentistry Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Population Health
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	25 May 2023 10:15
Last Modified:	28 Jun 2023 12:46
DOI:	10.1016/j.appet.2023.106584
Open Access URL:	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2023.106584
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3170675