Results of a Mass Media Campaign in South Africa to Promote a Sugary Drinks Tax.
communication
evaluations
health harms
mass media
obesity campaign
policy
sugary drinks
tax
Journal
Nutrients
ISSN: 2072-6643
Titre abrégé: Nutrients
Pays: Switzerland
ID NLM: 101521595
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
23 Jun 2020
23 Jun 2020
Historique:
received:
01
06
2020
revised:
11
06
2020
accepted:
15
06
2020
entrez:
27
6
2020
pubmed:
27
6
2020
medline:
27
2
2021
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
In South Africa, the increased consumption of sugary drinks has been associated with increased obesity rates. Mass media campaigns can play a crucial role in improving knowledge, shifting attitudes, and building support for government action on reducing sugary drink consumption. No study to date has evaluated the effectiveness of mass media campaigns on the health harms of sugary drinks in South Africa. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a mass media campaign on knowledge and attitudes around sugary drinks and on public support for a proposed tax on sugary drinks in South Africa. The "Are You Drinking Yourself Sick?" campaign aired in South Africa from October 2016 to June 2017 to shift attitudes toward sugary drinks, build personal risk perceptions of the health harms of consuming sugary drinks, and build public support for a proposed tax on sugary drinks. Campaign impact was measured in representative cross-sectional household surveys of adults ages 18 to 56. The surveys were conducted just prior to the launch of the campaign ( The campaign was recalled by 55% of survey respondents, and 78% of campaign-aware respondents said that the campaign's main message was "drinking sugary drinks can make you sick." There were significant changes from the pre- to the post-campaign period in knowledge that sugary drink consumption can lead to obesity and related health problems and that sugary drinks contribute toward the obesity problem in South Africa. Campaign awareness was also significantly associated with increases in knowledge about the harms of sugary drinks, and in particular, on government action, including the proposed tax on sugary drinks. Media campaigns are an effective intervention for obesity prevention. In addition to improving knowledge and shifting attitudes, media campaigns can effectively build public support for strong government action and therefore must be a component of a comprehensive obesity prevention approach.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
In South Africa, the increased consumption of sugary drinks has been associated with increased obesity rates. Mass media campaigns can play a crucial role in improving knowledge, shifting attitudes, and building support for government action on reducing sugary drink consumption. No study to date has evaluated the effectiveness of mass media campaigns on the health harms of sugary drinks in South Africa.
OBJECTIVE
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a mass media campaign on knowledge and attitudes around sugary drinks and on public support for a proposed tax on sugary drinks in South Africa.
METHODS
METHODS
The "Are You Drinking Yourself Sick?" campaign aired in South Africa from October 2016 to June 2017 to shift attitudes toward sugary drinks, build personal risk perceptions of the health harms of consuming sugary drinks, and build public support for a proposed tax on sugary drinks. Campaign impact was measured in representative cross-sectional household surveys of adults ages 18 to 56. The surveys were conducted just prior to the launch of the campaign (
RESULTS
RESULTS
The campaign was recalled by 55% of survey respondents, and 78% of campaign-aware respondents said that the campaign's main message was "drinking sugary drinks can make you sick." There were significant changes from the pre- to the post-campaign period in knowledge that sugary drink consumption can lead to obesity and related health problems and that sugary drinks contribute toward the obesity problem in South Africa. Campaign awareness was also significantly associated with increases in knowledge about the harms of sugary drinks, and in particular, on government action, including the proposed tax on sugary drinks.
DISCUSSION
CONCLUSIONS
Media campaigns are an effective intervention for obesity prevention. In addition to improving knowledge and shifting attitudes, media campaigns can effectively build public support for strong government action and therefore must be a component of a comprehensive obesity prevention approach.
Identifiants
pubmed: 32586040
pii: nu12061878
doi: 10.3390/nu12061878
pmc: PMC7353390
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Références
BMC Public Health. 2013 Nov 13;13:1072
pubmed: 24225016
Obes Rev. 2013 Feb;14(2):110-28
pubmed: 23174017
Lancet Glob Health. 2016 Sep;4(9):e642-53
pubmed: 27539806
Health Educ Res. 2013 Dec;28(6):1029-39
pubmed: 23962490
Obesity (Silver Spring). 2007 Nov;15(11):2780-9
pubmed: 18070769
Am J Public Health. 2010 Feb;100(2):216-22
pubmed: 20019319
Transl Behav Med. 2019 Jan 1;9(1):179-183
pubmed: 29648617
Am J Clin Nutr. 2014 Jun;99(6):1479-86
pubmed: 24740206
Public Health Nutr. 2008 Mar;11(3):314-20
pubmed: 17612423
N Engl J Med. 2009 Oct 15;361(16):1599-605
pubmed: 19759377
Yale J Biol Med. 2018 Jun 28;91(2):185-190
pubmed: 29955223
Health Educ Res. 2016 Apr;31(2):121-35
pubmed: 26956039
Tob Control. 2012 Mar;21(2):127-38
pubmed: 22345235
Prev Med. 1984 May;13(3):299-319
pubmed: 6387698
Health Econ Policy Law. 2019 Oct;14(4):509-535
pubmed: 29779494
BMC Public Health. 2015 Aug 20;15:804
pubmed: 26290169
BMJ Open. 2018 Apr 25;8(4):e019574
pubmed: 29695387
Lancet. 2015 Dec 5;386(10010):2287-323
pubmed: 26364544
BMJ. 2016 Jan 06;352:h6704
pubmed: 26738745
Lancet. 2010 Oct 9;376(9748):1261-71
pubmed: 20933263
N Engl J Med. 2017 Jul 6;377(1):13-27
pubmed: 28604169
PLoS One. 2015 Aug 05;10(8):e0124845
pubmed: 26244332
Prev Med. 2014 Oct;67 Suppl 1:S40-5
pubmed: 25066020
Int J Obes (Lond). 2013 Jun;37(6):774-82
pubmed: 22964792
Diabetes Care. 2010 Nov;33(11):2477-83
pubmed: 20693348
Am J Public Health. 2017 Jun;107(6):989-995
pubmed: 28426298
Health Educ Behav. 2004 Apr;31(2):143-64
pubmed: 15090118
Int J Health Policy Manag. 2019 Dec 01;8(12):727-731
pubmed: 31779301
Lancet. 2016 Apr 2;387(10026):1377-1396
pubmed: 27115820
Int J Health Policy Manag. 2019 Jan 20;8(5):256-260
pubmed: 31204441
Am J Public Health. 2013 Nov;103(11):2071-7
pubmed: 23488503
BMC Public Health. 2012 Jun 06;12:404
pubmed: 22672587
Public Health Nutr. 2017 Dec;20(18):3225-3227
pubmed: 29160767
Soc Sci Med. 2019 Oct;238:112465
pubmed: 31472286
Physiol Behav. 2010 Apr 26;100(1):47-54
pubmed: 20138901
Prev Med. 1998 Jul-Aug;27(4):572-82
pubmed: 9672951
Health Promot J Austr. 2019 Dec;30 Suppl 1:34-42
pubmed: 30903631
Health Educ Res. 2015 Aug;30(4):569-79
pubmed: 26152146
PLoS One. 2015 Dec 14;10(12):e0144408
pubmed: 26675166
Prev Med. 2011 Jun;52(6):413-6
pubmed: 21443899
J Nutr Educ Behav. 2014 Nov-Dec;46(6):583-8
pubmed: 24878152
S Afr Med J. 2007 Aug;97(8 Pt 2):637-41
pubmed: 17952221