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Holding the food industry to account for their role in obesity prevention: A proposed monitoring approach
e60 relationship and thus be a risk factor for inappropriate feeding practices that may increase the risk of childhood overweight. The aim of this study was to examine the longitudinal relationships between self-reported maternal postnatal depressive symptoms at child age 4 months and feeding practices at child age 2 years in a community sample of mothers. Methods: Participants were Australian first-time mothers allocated to the control group of the NOURISH RCT when infants were 4 months old (277/346 allocated at baseline provided at least some data at follow up when children were 2 years old; 51% girls). The relationship between Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score (child age 4 months) and child feeding practices (child age 2 years) measured using validated tools was tested using hierarchical linear regression analysis in order to adjust for maternal and child characteristics. Results: Complete data for planned regression analyses were available for 211 participants. Higher EPDS was associated with less responsive feeding practices at child age 2 years: specifically, greater pressure to eat (ˇ = 0.18, p = 0.01), restriction (ˇ = 0.14, p = 0.05), instrumental feeding (ˇ = 0.14, p = 0.04), and emotional feeding (ˇ = 0.15, p = 0.03) practices. Conclusions: The present study provides evidence for the proposed link between maternal postnatal depressive symptoms and lower responsiveness in child feeding, even in a healthy sample of mothers. These findings emphasise the importance of providing support to mothers experiencing sub-clinical levels of depressive symptomatology in the early postnatal period in order to promote responsiveness in both general parenting and feeding contexts. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.orcp.2013.12.612 114
Abstracts Methods: The Victorian Population Health Survey is a population representative health survey conducted annually using landline computer-assisted telephone interviews. In 2012, we interviewed 33,673 randomly selected Victorians aged 18 years and older who lived in private dwellings. We categorised a respondent as being food insecure, if in the previous 12 months, they reported having run out of food and could not afford to buy more. We calculated body mass index (BMI) from self-reported height and weight, and determined the respondent’s weight status according to the recommendations of the World Health Organization; overweight = 25.0—29.9 kg/m2 and obesity ≥ 30 kg/m2 . We used multivariable logistic regression and adjusted for the potential confounders of age, sex, SES (household income), lifestyle risk factors (smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, physical inactivity), lack of social support networks (inability to get help from family, friends or neighbours), and household composition (sole parent status). Results: Food insecurity was significantly associated with obesity in both males and females, crude odds ratio (OR) = 1.7; 95% confidence interval (1.3—2.2). Age negatively confounded the association; adjusted odds ratio (ORadj ) = 2.3 (1.7—3.0). Although household income, smoking, inability to get help from family, friends or neighbours and being a sole parent were also significantly associated with food insecurity, they did not affect the ORadj for obesity. Conclusions: Food insecurity was associated with a higher prevalence of obesity in both males and females. Household income, smoking, lack of social support and being a sole parent, neither mediated nor explained the relationship between food insecurity and obesity. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.orcp.2013.12.613
Food insecurity and obesity in Victoria
115
Alison Markwick ∗ , Zahid Ansari, Loretta Vaughan, Sharon Laurence, Colin Sindall
Holding the food industry to account for their role in obesity prevention: A proposed monitoring approach
Department of Health, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
Gary Sacks 1,∗ , Boyd Swinburn 1,2
Introduction: We investigated the association between body weight status and food insecurity in Victoria among males and females aged 18 years and over, taking into account the influence of socioeconomic status (SES), lifestyle risk factors, social support networks, and household composition.
1 Deakin
University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia 2 School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand Introduction: Private sector organisations play a critical role in shaping the food environments
ANZOS 2013 abstracts of individuals and populations. However, there is currently very limited independent monitoring of private sector actions related to food environments. This paper outlines a proposed approach to monitor private sector policies and practices related to food environments, and their influence on obesity and non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention. This has been developed by INFORMAS (International Network for Food and Obesity/NCD Research, Monitoring and Action Support)—–a global network of public-interest organisations and researchers that aims to monitor, benchmark and support public and private sector actions to create healthy food environments and reduce obesity, NCDs and their related inequalities. Methods: The corporate accountability literature and previous studies that have monitored food companies were reviewed, and a step-wise approach to monitoring private sector policies and practices proposed. In the first (‘minimal’) step, publicly-available food and nutrition-related policies of selected private sector organisations are collated. In the second (‘expanded’) step, the nutritional composition of each organisation’s products, their promotions to children, their labelling practices, and the accessibility, availability and affordability of their products are assessed. The third (‘optimal’) step includes data on other commercial activities that may influence food environments, such as political lobbying and corporate philanthropy. Future directions: The proposed approach will be piloted in countries of varying size and income levels. There is potential for this approach to enable national and international benchmarking of private sector policies and practices, and to inform efforts to hold the private sector to account for their role in obesity and NCD prevention. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.orcp.2013.12.614
e61 116 Regulation on promotion of ‘junk food’ to children: A need in the Pacific Islands? Wendy Snowdon 1,∗ , Astika Raj 2 , Silvia Hope 3 1 Deakin
University and Fiji National University, Suva, Fiji 2 C-POND, Fiji National University, Suva, Fiji 3 La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia The Global Action Plan on Non-communicable diseases (NCD) from the World Health Organization, includes a call for countries to implement the WHO’s recommendations on the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children. While the burden of NCDs in the Pacific Islands is high, with a growing problem in children, the need for controls on marketing is under discussion. With extensive exposure to imported media via satellite and internet, controlling exposure within the region may present challenges to regulators. To ascertain the extent of advertising and promotion of ‘junk foods’ to children on locally controlled television stations, data was collected using standardised methodology, on the levels and type of food advertising in 6 Pacific Island countries and Territories. Only locally run terrestrial television channels were included, and stations were recorded and assessed over two weekdays and one weekend, from 6am to 9pm. Food products were coded using nutrient profiling criteria into unhealthy or healthy product. Considerable differences in levels of advertising were noted between the countries. Substantially more advertising for unhealthy products was found in Fiji, compared to the other sites, with most of the advertising being for products which were locally manufactured. Across the countries higher levels of advertising of these products were generally found in non-school hours. There was also considerable use of young actors and techniques which were likely to appeal to young audiences. While the extent of locally produced media is relatively low in this region, there is still an issue of advertising of unhealthy foods and drinks to children. High levels of imported media will create challenges for efforts to reduce marketing levels, and the region would benefit from progress in this issue in neighbouring countries. While efforts are underway in Fiji to regulate
Abstracts Methods: The Victorian Population Health Survey is a population representative health survey conducted annually using landline computer-assisted telephone interviews. In 2012, we interviewed 33,673 randomly selected Victorians aged 18 years and older who lived in private dwellings. We categorised a respondent as being food insecure, if in the previous 12 months, they reported having run out of food and could not afford to buy more. We calculated body mass index (BMI) from self-reported height and weight, and determined the respondent’s weight status according to the recommendations of the World Health Organization; overweight = 25.0—29.9 kg/m2 and obesity ≥ 30 kg/m2 . We used multivariable logistic regression and adjusted for the potential confounders of age, sex, SES (household income), lifestyle risk factors (smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, physical inactivity), lack of social support networks (inability to get help from family, friends or neighbours), and household composition (sole parent status). Results: Food insecurity was significantly associated with obesity in both males and females, crude odds ratio (OR) = 1.7; 95% confidence interval (1.3—2.2). Age negatively confounded the association; adjusted odds ratio (ORadj ) = 2.3 (1.7—3.0). Although household income, smoking, inability to get help from family, friends or neighbours and being a sole parent were also significantly associated with food insecurity, they did not affect the ORadj for obesity. Conclusions: Food insecurity was associated with a higher prevalence of obesity in both males and females. Household income, smoking, lack of social support and being a sole parent, neither mediated nor explained the relationship between food insecurity and obesity. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.orcp.2013.12.613
Food insecurity and obesity in Victoria
115
Alison Markwick ∗ , Zahid Ansari, Loretta Vaughan, Sharon Laurence, Colin Sindall
Holding the food industry to account for their role in obesity prevention: A proposed monitoring approach
Department of Health, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
Gary Sacks 1,∗ , Boyd Swinburn 1,2
Introduction: We investigated the association between body weight status and food insecurity in Victoria among males and females aged 18 years and over, taking into account the influence of socioeconomic status (SES), lifestyle risk factors, social support networks, and household composition.
1 Deakin
University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia 2 School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand Introduction: Private sector organisations play a critical role in shaping the food environments
ANZOS 2013 abstracts of individuals and populations. However, there is currently very limited independent monitoring of private sector actions related to food environments. This paper outlines a proposed approach to monitor private sector policies and practices related to food environments, and their influence on obesity and non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention. This has been developed by INFORMAS (International Network for Food and Obesity/NCD Research, Monitoring and Action Support)—–a global network of public-interest organisations and researchers that aims to monitor, benchmark and support public and private sector actions to create healthy food environments and reduce obesity, NCDs and their related inequalities. Methods: The corporate accountability literature and previous studies that have monitored food companies were reviewed, and a step-wise approach to monitoring private sector policies and practices proposed. In the first (‘minimal’) step, publicly-available food and nutrition-related policies of selected private sector organisations are collated. In the second (‘expanded’) step, the nutritional composition of each organisation’s products, their promotions to children, their labelling practices, and the accessibility, availability and affordability of their products are assessed. The third (‘optimal’) step includes data on other commercial activities that may influence food environments, such as political lobbying and corporate philanthropy. Future directions: The proposed approach will be piloted in countries of varying size and income levels. There is potential for this approach to enable national and international benchmarking of private sector policies and practices, and to inform efforts to hold the private sector to account for their role in obesity and NCD prevention. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.orcp.2013.12.614
e61 116 Regulation on promotion of ‘junk food’ to children: A need in the Pacific Islands? Wendy Snowdon 1,∗ , Astika Raj 2 , Silvia Hope 3 1 Deakin
University and Fiji National University, Suva, Fiji 2 C-POND, Fiji National University, Suva, Fiji 3 La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia The Global Action Plan on Non-communicable diseases (NCD) from the World Health Organization, includes a call for countries to implement the WHO’s recommendations on the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children. While the burden of NCDs in the Pacific Islands is high, with a growing problem in children, the need for controls on marketing is under discussion. With extensive exposure to imported media via satellite and internet, controlling exposure within the region may present challenges to regulators. To ascertain the extent of advertising and promotion of ‘junk foods’ to children on locally controlled television stations, data was collected using standardised methodology, on the levels and type of food advertising in 6 Pacific Island countries and Territories. Only locally run terrestrial television channels were included, and stations were recorded and assessed over two weekdays and one weekend, from 6am to 9pm. Food products were coded using nutrient profiling criteria into unhealthy or healthy product. Considerable differences in levels of advertising were noted between the countries. Substantially more advertising for unhealthy products was found in Fiji, compared to the other sites, with most of the advertising being for products which were locally manufactured. Across the countries higher levels of advertising of these products were generally found in non-school hours. There was also considerable use of young actors and techniques which were likely to appeal to young audiences. While the extent of locally produced media is relatively low in this region, there is still an issue of advertising of unhealthy foods and drinks to children. High levels of imported media will create challenges for efforts to reduce marketing levels, and the region would benefit from progress in this issue in neighbouring countries. While efforts are underway in Fiji to regulate