Disruptures in the Dental Ethos: The Birth, Life, & Neoliberal Retirement of Norms in Advertising & Corporatization

This paper argues that the trends in advertising and corporatization in dentistry since the 1970s have resulted in processes of de-professionalization and de-regulation, respectively.

Early Dental Trade Card with Occupational Logo

Merchants, trade and service people, professionals, and others sometimes used logos related to their businesses on advertising trade cards. Dr. Harry William Sale used a stock advertising trade card with his message on the reverse, containing a bright red detailed dentistry logo displaying a maxillary denture, extracted teeth, and multiple tools of the trade. This remarkably preserved card by Milton Wolf, copyrighted 1882, offers a perfect example of a Victorian Era trade/business card featuring an occupational logo.

Vaping, smartphones, and social media use among young adults: Snapchat is the platform of choice for young adult vapers

BACKGROUND

Tobacco use often begins or stabilizes in young adulthood. Approximately 90% of young adults use social media and over 80% own a smartphone. Retailers of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) have targeted smartphones and social media with adverting campaigns. Despite evidence of ENDS advertising on social media and smartphones, few studies have examined associations between exposure to vaping advertisements on smartphones, social media use, and ENDS use (i.e., vaping) among young adults.

METHODS

College students aged 18-24 from a large public university (N = 1047) completed online surveys about vaping. The survey measured frequency of vaping advertisement exposure, smartphone use, social media use, and vaping behaviors. Hierarchical logistic regression assessed whether demographics, vaping advertisement exposure, smartphone use, and social media use predicted ever vaping compared to never vaping.

RESULTS

The four most commonly used platforms (used "daily") were Snapchat (80.0%), Instagram (73.4%), YouTube (59.7%), and Facebook (54.3%). Use of Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook were all significantly associated with higher rates of vaping advertisement exposure via smartphones. Exposure to vaping advertisements on smartphones was associated with ever vaping (AOR: 1.30, 95% CI = 1.05-1.60). Of the social media platforms examined, only Snapchat use frequency was associated with higher odds of ever vaping (AOR: 1.22, 95% CI = 1.10-1.36).

CONCLUSIONS

Exposure to advertisements via smartphones and use of Snapchat were associated with higher rates of vaping for young adults. Social media and smartphone use should be further investigated for young adult impact.

Embedded Gambling Promotion in Football: An Explorative Study of Cue-Exposure and Urge to Gamble

Limited research has evaluated the psychological effect of sports-betting advertising (such as embedded promotion) upon consumers considered 'higher-risk'. Students are often considered a higher-risk group given the numerous gambling-related risk factors associated with their lifestyle. Furthermore, students studying sports-related subjects may possess a bespoke vulnerability to sports-betting risk, due to contextual factors such as (mis)perceptions regarding advantages of sports-related knowledge. The pilot study investigated whether exposure to embedded gambling promotions during televised football, elicits urges to gamble amongst students, and whether the severity of reported gambling varies between those who study sports-related and non-sports subjects. An experimental methodology was employed. Sixty students from the University of South Wales were shown one of three videos: (a) televised football match highlights containing a high density of embedded promotion; (b) amateur football match highlights containing no gambling-related cues or embedded promotion; (c) a neutral control video containing footage of a live concert. Urge to gamble and risk of gambling problems were measured following video exposure. Sports-students reported significantly higher risk of gambling problem scores than non-sports students. Correspondingly, sport-students who were exposed to embedded gambling promotion reported significantly higher urges to gamble compared to all other conditions. This effect was also observed amongst sports-students who were exposed to an amateur match containing no gambling-related material. These findings provide evidence for the cue-induced urge effect of sports-embedded gambling promotion, amongst vulnerable audiences. Public health interventions and harm reduction strategies should look to counteract these pervasive forms of gambling advertising.

Exposure to Gambling and Alcohol Marketing in Soccer Matchday Programmes

The UK's Premier League and Championship are two of the most well attended soccer leagues worldwide; however, little is known regarding exposure to gambling marketing through the matchday experience. The current study sought to quantify exposure to gambling and alcohol marketing, and responsible gambling messages within matchday programmes. Programmes for each team in the English Premier League and Championship were analysed across consecutive matchday weekends, made available to 1,269,404 match-going fans. Direct adverts for, and incidental exposure to, gambling, alcohol, and responsible gambling marketing or messages were coded. Direct adverts were counted, as were absolute counts and percentage of pages with incidental exposure. Programmes averaged 2.3 direct gambling adverts and 37.8 instances of incidental gambling marketing exposure. Incidental gambling marketing was found on 22.2% of pages. There was more gambling marketing than either alcohol marketing or responsible gambling messages. This was observed across: number of direct adverts (p < .001), incidents of exposure (p < .001) and the percentage of pages with exposure (p < .001). Teams with gambling shirt sponsors had more incidental marketing exposure, in both absolute count (p < .001) and percentage of pages (p < .001) but did not have more direct gambling adverts (p = .63). Incidental exposure to gambling marketing was present in 59.0% of children's specific sections of programmes. There was greater exposure to gambling marketing in soccer matchday programmes. Gambling marketing was frequently evident in child specific sections of matchday programmes. Attending soccer matches and reading the matchday programme increases exposure to gambling.

Alcohol use disorders, beverage preferences and the influence of alcohol marketing: a preliminary study

Background

Alcohol Use Disorders (AUD) are among the most prevalent mental disorders in the world. They are the leading risk factor for premature mortality and disability among 15 to 49-year-olds. Links between alcohol marketing and patterns of alcohol consumption are well defined in adolescents but there is few data on the impact of alcohol marketing on a population of drinkers with an AUD and seeking treatment. This study was designed in collaboration among researchers specialising in addictive disorders, in social marketing and primary care.

Methods

This was a monocentric, cross-sectional, descriptive study. The main objective of this study was to define the type of marketing identified by drinkers with an AUD who were seeking treatment and their beverage preferences. Drinkers aged 18+ with an AUD and seeking treatment were included. A descriptive analysis and a logistic regression were carried out .

Results

N = 91 patients were included, 73.6% were male, the average age was 46.2 years. 72% said they were not influenced by alcohol marketing, but 76% recalled an alcohol advertisement in the last 6 months. The most frequently reported beverage preferences were wine (39.6%), standard beers (29.6%), spirits (27.5%) and strong beers (16.5%).

Conclusions

Patients with AUD, defined as vulnerable, reported exposure to alcohol marketing but did not seem to identify it consciously. Marketing influences differed according to beverage preferences. These results need to be confirmed by a larger study.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13011-020-00329-8.

Advertising Games of Chance in Adolescents and Young Adults in Spain

Gambling advertising can influence attitudes and gaming behavior of adolescents and young adults (A&Y). To study the effect of advertising on the attitudes and gaming behavior of a sample of 2887 Spanish A&Y (12-22 years old), by means of a self-report assessment. On average, participants show a weak effect of advertising, however there are great variations, estimating that 11% of A&Y acknowledge being influenced by advertising and 5% recognize being severely affected. Men see themselves more impacted than women, without age differences. Those who play videogames signal a stronger effect of this kind of advertising and although these differences are not substantial in effect size, they reach statistically significance in 12 of the 13 questions assessed. A&Y who showed higher scores indicating problematic use of videogames in the IDGS9-SF, are those who indicate a greater impact of advertising on their attitudes towards gaming, as well as on the way they play or on their intention to play. These results support the idea that videogames can, albeit modestly, predispose engagement in games of chance.

Regulating children's exposure to food marketing on television: are the restrictions during children's programmes enough?

Due to rising global rates of childhood obesity, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended the adoption of policies to restrict children's exposure to the advertising of unhealthy foods and beverages. In 2017, the Slovenian government introduced regulations to restrict the advertisement of unhealthy foods and beverages during designated children's television programming. The objective of our study was to assess the impact of these regulations on children's exposure to food advertising, including during children's programmes and at peak viewing times for children. Using a standardised methodology, we investigated a large sample of 6479 food advertisements broadcast during 1652 h of television programming between 2016 and 2018 on the five most popular television channels for children aged 4-9 years. Advertised food products were coded using the WHO Regional Office for Europe Nutrient Profile Model, modified for Slovenia. The average overall frequency of not permitted (unhealthy) food advertising (±SD; standard deviation) per hour was 2.90 ± 3.22 (2016), 2.66 ± 3.55 (2017), or 2.13 ± 3.04 (2018) ads/h/channel. The frequency of not permitted food ads decreased to 0.02 ± 0.01 per h/channel during cartoons and other children's programmes in 2018. The new Slovenian food marketing regulations have reduced the advertising of unhealthy foods during children's programmes. However, children's viewership rates are also high outside of this designated programming and, as such, children's overall exposure to unhealthy food advertising is unlikely to have been reduced considerably by the regulations. Future policy interventions should be planned to cover not only children's programmes but also broadcasting periods that include the greatest numbers of child viewers. The implementation of such policies would be more challenging given that children's peak viewing times often intersect with prime time.

Demographic and psychological moderators of the relationship between neighborhood cigarette advertising and current smoking in New York City

BACKGROUND

Tobacco advertising in retailers influences smoking, but little research has examined how this relationship differs among population subgroups. This study merged data on neighborhood cigarette advertising with geocoded survey data to assess the association between advertising prevalence and current smoking among New York City (NYC) residents, and whether demographic and psychological characteristics moderate this relationship.

METHODS

Audit data from a stratified, random sample of 796 NYC tobacco retailers generated neighborhood prevalence estimates of cigarette advertising, which were linked with unweighted 2017 NYC Community Health Survey data (n = 7837 adult respondents with residential geocodes). Multilevel regression estimated adjusted odds ratios (aOR) of current smoking by level of neighborhood cigarette advertising (quartiles). Interactions assessed differences in this relationship by demographic characteristics and current depression (analyses conducted in 2019).

RESULTS

There was no main effect of advertising on smoking status or significant interactions with demographic variables, but current depression was an effect modifier (p = 0.045). Cigarette advertising was associated with current smoking among those with current depression (p = 0.023), not those without (p = 0.920). Specifically, respondents with depression who resided in neighborhoods in the highest quartile for cigarette advertising prevalence had higher odds of current smoking, compared to those living in the lowest advertising quartile [aOR: 1.72 (1.04, 2.86)].

CONCLUSION

Retail cigarette advertising may serve as an environmental cue to smoke among adults with depression. Efforts to restrict or counteract this practice, such as the development of community-level public health interventions and counter-marketing programs, may particularly benefit those with depression and, perhaps, other mental health disorders.

Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology advertising guidelines: How are member clinics doing?

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) member in vitro fertilization (IVF) centers adhere to the Society's new advertising policy, updated in January 2018, and evaluate other services advertised by region, insurance mandate and university affiliation status. Historically, a large percentage of IVF clinics have not adhered to SART guidelines for IVF clinic website advertising and have had variability in how financial incentives and other noncore fertility services are advertised.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Not applicable.

PATIENT(S)

None.

INTERVENTION(S)

None.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Adherence of SART participating websites to objective criteria from the 2018 SART advertising guidelines.

RESULT(S)

All 361 SART participating clinic websites were evaluated. Approximately one third of clinics reported success rate statistics directly on their websites, but only 52.6% of those clinics reported current statistics. Similarly, only 67.5% of SART member clinics included the required disclaimer statement regarding their outcome statistics. Only 10.5% of websites were wholly compliant with SART guidelines regarding presentation of supplemental data. There were no significant differences between academic and nonacademic centers, programs in mandated versus nonmandated states, or East versus West Coast clinics in any of these areas.

CONCLUSION(S)

Many of the SART member websites failed to adhere to core guidelines surrounding reporting IVF clinic success rates. Consideration for additional education and streamlining as well as simplifying success rate advertising guidelines is recommended.

Awareness of marketing for high fat, salt or sugar foods, and the association with higher weekly consumption among adolescents: a rejoinder to the UK government's consultations on marketing regulation

OBJECTIVE

Exposure to marketing for foods high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) reportedly influences consumption, nutritional knowledge and diet-related health among adolescents. In 2018/2019, the UK government held two consultations about introducing new restrictions on marketing for HFSS foods. To reinforce why these restrictions are needed, we examined adolescents' awareness of marketing for HFSS foods, and the association between past month awareness and weekly HFSS food consumption.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey that measured past month awareness of ten marketing activities for HFSS foods (1 = everyday; 6 = not in last month). Frequencies were converted into aggregate past month awareness across marketing activities and grouped into three categories (low/medium/high). Consumption was self-reported for fifteen foods (twelve HFSS) (1 = few times/d; 9 = never). For each food, frequency was divided into higher/lower weekly consumption.

SETTING

United Kingdom.

PARTICIPANTS

11-19-year-olds (n 3348).

RESULTS

Most adolescents (90·8 %) reported awareness of a least one marketing activity for HFSS foods, and at least half reported seeing ≥70 instances in the past month. Television, social media and price offers were the marketing activities most frequently reported. Awareness was associated with higher weekly consumption for ten of the twelve HFSS foods. For example, those reporting medium marketing awareness were 1·5 times more likely to report higher weekly consumption of cakes/biscuits compared with those reporting low awareness (AOR = 1·51, P = 0·012). The likelihood of higher weekly HFSS food consumption increased relative to the level of marketing awareness.

CONCLUSIONS

Assuming there is a causal relationship between marketing awareness and consumption, the restrictions proposed by the UK government are likely to help reduce HFSS consumption.

Reflecting on "Marketing communications in health and medicine: perspectives from Willis-Knighton Health System": understanding the big picture

Background

Willis-Knighton Health System’s special supplement in BMC Health Services Research, “Marketing communications in health and medicine: perspectives from Willis-Knighton Health System,” focuses on advertising, public relations, sales promotion, and related communicative avenues, associated theory, and more. Across the supplement’s articles, insights from the institution’s experiences are presented, addressing the components of the marketing communications mix, foundational elements of communication, the patronage process, and the necessity for integrating marketing communications.

Discussion

As an understanding of the big picture is crucial in marketing communications, especially given that many of its components must be effected simultaneously, this particular article takes the insights provided in the supplement and presents them in an operational framework, demonstrating the marketing communications process. This framework concisely summarizes the facets profiled in the associated articles, permitting readers to see how these pieces work in concert with one another in health and medical settings, providing a basic communications structure which healthcare establishments can use to advance their patient engagement initiatives.

Conclusions

Health and medical providers must ensure that they possess a detailed understanding of core marketing communications facets, but as they acquire associated knowledge, they also must direct attention toward understanding the interrelationships between and among these facets, permitting a global perspective of communicative operations. This particular article summarizes insights from Willis-Knighton Health System’s special supplement in BMC Health Services Research, providing a pathway toward realizing big picture marketing communications perspectives.

From Colton's guess to Andrews' table to Bunnell's paper to Spencer's card: Misleading the public about nitrous oxide's safety

Famous for pioneering the oxygenation of nitrous-oxide anesthetics, Chicago surgeon Edmund Andrews trusted the Manhattan-based Colton Dental Association's claim that they had conducted 75,000 nitrous-oxide anesthetics without a single mortality. Those statistics were cited in Andrews' 1870 journal article on anesthetic risks and then, remarkably, advertised on the business cards of dentist James M. Spencer, Jr., of Gouverneur, New York.

Advertising in health and medicine: using mass media to communicate with patients

BACKGROUND

Advertising-a marketing communications method involving the paid use of mass media to deliver messages to desired audiences-represents one of the most common and effective avenues for engaging current and prospective patients. Although late to proliferate in the health services industry due to tradition, the medium of communication is now firmly established and routinely deployed by health and medical organizations far and wide. Despite widespread use, healthcare providers must take opportunities, when and where possible, to stay abreast of the latest details concerning advertising and its associated applications, increasing the likelihood of successful audience engagements.

DISCUSSION

Maintaining an awareness of current developments in health services advertising can be facilitated by acquiring operational perspectives and practices from peer institutions. Most any healthcare provider can benefit from experiential views as they can shape and hone advertising approaches. Gaining such insights can be difficult, given competitive sensitivities, but occasionally healthcare institutions are compelled to share knowledge in published accounts, with this particular article following suit. Specifically, insights and experiences from Willis-Knighton Health System's extensive and historic use of advertising are shared, bolstering the experiential accounts available in the literature and supplying operational guidance for health and medical providers.

CONCLUSIONS

Advertising, if well devised and deployed, offers healthcare providers opportunities to dramatically improve their fortunes by successfully engaging current and prospective patients, hastening exchange and building vital market share. In pursuit of advertising excellence, health and medical establishments can bolster associated endeavors by tapping into the experiences of other healthcare providers, permitting insights which might potentially be incorporated into communicative pathways. This account sheds light on the advertising operations of a major health system, supplying food for thought for the advancement of advertising acumen.

Unhealthy aging? Featuring older people in television food commercials in China

Objectives

Advertising messages can affect the public as a risk or protective factor for socially disadvantaged groups, and they may reflect how characters reflect perceptions are perceived in a society. This study aimed to investigate how older people are portrayed in televised food commercials from the approach of a healthy aging perspective in contemporary Chinese society.

Methods

All televised advertising in the Ad Topic archive were screened against inclusion and exclusion criteria, and a total of 164 commercials from the years of 2016–2019 that portrayed Chinese older people were sampled. The association between the main older characters with the product categories, healthy vs. unhealthy foods, use of health claims, sex, type of spokesperson, companions, and tones and manners were included in the analysis.

Results

Older people more frequently appeared in unhealthy food products than in healthy food products. Health claims involving older adults were portrayed adequately, whereas nursing professions as companions of older adults were overlooked. Positive advertising that delivered happy, caring, or warm tones was overwhelmingly represented. Thus, the advertising messages circulated in China represent a binary stereotype model of images of older adults’ characteristics that reflect ageist and the so-called agelessism, referring to the new application of the look from the approach of social psychology and marketing field.

Conclusions

This study examined aging discrimination reflected in advertisements. Studies exploring the impact of a crisis remain limited. Research is needed to improve the accuracy of advertised healthy older adults and normal aging.

A Content Analysis of Gambling Operators' Twitter Accounts at the Start of the English Premier League Football Season

The use of social media is now an established strategy to engage and maintain customer loyalty. The purpose of the present study was to examine the Twitter accounts of ten of the largest online sports betting operators in the UK to determine what marketing strategies were employed. More specifically, this study analyzed 3375 tweets posted by the operators during the opening weekend of the 2018–2019 English Premier League football season using a content analysis methodology. The results demonstrated that multiple strategies, including hashtags, were used to link gambling operator tweets with major sporting events, and the use of numerous promotional campaigns. Notably, over 90% of the tweets contained no responsible gambling information. The quantity and content of social media posts underline the need for a review of the current advertising regulations in the UK. Further research should examine how exposure to sports betting social media marketing influences gambling behavior.

Exposure to e-cigarette advertising, attitudes, and use susceptibility in adolescents who had never used e-cigarettes or cigarettes

Background

Tobacco advertisements have been banned in Hong Kong, but low intensity e-cigarette (EC) advertising can still be found in various media outlets. We investigated the associations between exposure to EC advertising and susceptibility to EC use in adolescents who had never used cigarettes or ECs, with potential mediation by attitudes towards ECs and the tobacco industry.

Methods

The School-based Smoking Survey 2016/17 assessed exposure to EC advertising in the past 30 days, attitudes towards ECs and the tobacco industry, susceptibility to EC use, and other covariates. Generalised linear mixed models and multiple mediation analysis methods were used in data analyses.

Results

Among 7082 students (mean age 14.9 years), 28.8% reported exposure to EC advertising. Exposure was associated with being uncertain about the harm of EC use, being tolerant towards ECs, believing the tobacco industry is respectable, and being susceptible to EC use; the magnitudes of these associations increased with the number of types of advertising exposed (0, 1, and ≥ 2) (all p-values < 0.01). These attitudinal factors were in turn associated with EC use susceptibility (all p-values < 0.001). The perception that tobacco companies make youth smoke was not associated with the advertising exposure or EC use susceptibility. Of the total effects of EC advertising on use susceptibility, only 16.6% were mediated by attitudinal factors: perceived harm (3.1%), attitudes towards ECs (8.2%), and attitudes towards the tobacco industry (4.9%).

Conclusions

Even exposure to low intensity EC advertising was associated with susceptibility to EC use in adolescents who had never used cigarettes or ECs. The association was weakly mediated by tolerant attitudes towards ECs and the tobacco industry. The government should reinforce the regulations on EC advertising to protect adolescent health.

"To nitrous oxide, chloroform gives way": Was Dr. W.J.A. DeLancey's poetic license in advertising…inspired?

Born in New Hampshire but raised in Massachusetts, 14-year-old William J.A. DeLancey became "the man of the house" after the accidental death of his father. Amiable and good humored, young DeLancey supported his widowed mother and his three sisters until the girls all reached maturity. After he married, DeLancey moved to Illinois and took up dentistry, eventually settling in Centralia. Following anesthesia training back east at Manhattan's Colton Dental Association, DeLancey returned to Centralia. There he practiced the Coltonian method of testing freshly made nitrous oxide upon himself before using the gas upon patients. Before his training at Colton Dental, DeLancey had advertised in Centralia newspapers only in prose. After he began administering laughing gas to his patients and to himself, DeLancey waxed poetic and began advertising in heroic couplets in local newspapers.

Consumer warning versus systemic change: The effects of including disclaimer labels on images that have or have not been digitally modified on body image

Two strategies for protecting body image against the negative effects of exposure to idealized media images have been proposed: (1) using labels to alert viewers to digital retouching, (2) limiting digital retouching. This study investigated the effects digitally modified vs.unmodified images and the use of labels on those images (disclaimer/retouch-free] vs. unlabeled) on appearance satisfaction and mood. Trait upwards appearance comparison, media ideal internalization, media similarity, and body appreciation were explored as moderators. Participants (n = 614, women, 18-30 years) viewed the same ten images of female figures (both thin ideal and size/shape diverse images) across four conditions: (1) unmodified, unlabelled, (2) unmodified, labelled, (3) modified, labelled, and (4) modified, unlabelled images. Exposure to unmodified images was shown to be less harmful than exposure to modified images. Neither label type was associated with more positive outcomes compared to their counterpart unlabelled conditions. State appearance comparison was highest in the two labelled conditions. Trait upwards appearance comparison and media ideal internalization to some extent moderated effects on negative mood. Findings provide additional evidence that disclaimer labels on digitally modified images are not helpful for body image, while images that depart from the thin-ideal can contribute to promoting positive body image.

[A high-risk combination: obesity, food brands, minors and challenges on YouTube]

OBJECTIVE

To identify high-risk content in food advertising that combines obesogenic features with a highly emotionally engaging format.

METHOD

Comparison of 304 videos (47hours and 41minutes) from 13 food brand channels (traditional advertising) and from 15 child YouTuber channels (endorsement and influence) posted in 2019. Exploratory content analysis of variables describing the communication style of the "challenges" format.

RESULTS

Challenges are the most common type of content (53.3%; n=162), with a greater prevalence on child YouTuber channels (59%; n=131) than on brand channels (41%; n=31).

CONCLUSIONS

Content created by consumers is not covered by current audiovisual communication legislation. Increased control of these practices is urgently needed, in terms of legislation, self-regulation and codes of ethics. Creativity, enjoyment or mere entertainment is not a sufficient argument for the persuasive promotion of behaviors that endanger the physical health of children.

Bullshit in a network structure: the two-sided influence of self-generated signals

In today's social network age, information flowing in networks does not derive solely from external sources; people in the network also independently generate signals. These self-generated signals may not be deliberate lies, but they may not bear any relationship with the truth, either. Following the philosopher Harry G. Frankfurt, we refer to such self-generated signals as bullshit. We present an information diffusion model that allows nodes which hold no value to spread information, capturing the diffusion of bullshit information. The presence of self-generated signals (i.e., bullshit) increases the amount of information available for transmission in the network. However, participants in the spread process respond to the existence of such self-generated information by receiving data from internal sources with caution. These two contradictory forces-the increase in information transmission on the one hand, and in suspicion on the other-result in a two-sided effect of bullshit on the total spread time. We first take a numerical approach, simulating our model on Watts-Strogatz networks and building a decision tree to characterize the effects of bullshit given different network structures. We find that increasing the rate of self-generated information may have either a monotonic or non-monotonic effect on the rumor spread time, depending on the network structure and rate of non-self-generated internal communications. Then, taking an analytical approach, we analyze the spread behavior for cliques, and identify the conditions for monotonic behavior in a 2-clique network.

A prospective community engagement initiative to improve clinical research participation in patients with peripheral artery disease

Objective:

Patients diagnosed with peripheral artery disease are difficult to recruit into clinical trials. However, there is currently no high-quality, patient-centered information explaining why peripheral artery disease patients choose to participate or not participate in clinical research studies.

Methods:

The current study was a prospective community engagement initiative that specifically asked patients with and without peripheral artery disease: (1) what motivates them to participate in clinical research studies, (2) their willingness to participate in different research procedures, (3) the barriers to participation, (4) preferences about study design, and (5) demographic and disease-related factors influencing participation. Data were gathered through focus groups (n = 19, participants aged 55–79 years) and mailed questionnaires (n = 438, respondents aged 18–85 years).

Results:

More than half of the respondents stated that they would be willing to participate in a study during evening or weekend time slots. Peripheral artery disease patients (n = 45) were more willing than those without peripheral artery disease (n = 360) to participate in drug infusion studies (48% versus 18%, p < 0.001) and trials of investigational drugs (44% versus 21%, p < 0.001). Motivating factors and barriers to participation were largely consistent with previous studies.

Conclusion:

Adults in our geographic region are interested in participating in clinical research studies related to their health; they would like their doctor to tell them what studies they qualify for and they prefer to receive a one-page advertisement that has color pictures of the research procedures. Peripheral artery disease patients are more willing than those without peripheral artery disease to participate in drug infusion studies, trials of investigational drugs, microneurography, and spinal/epidural infusions.

eSubmission of Promotional Labeling and Advertising Materials via the eCTD FDA Gateway : The Time Has Come for Advertising and Promotion to Submit in Module One

In June 2019, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued its final Guidance on submission of advertising and promotional materials to the Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (OPDP) in eCTD format through the electronic gateway. Our goal was to put in place a stepwise plan and clear process to submit these materials in advance of June 2021 when electronic submissions become mandatory. The first step was to test every submission type and every possible iteration, therefore, as issues arose, problems could be easily addressed and resolved. This helped build confidence and achieve a level of comfort in preparing for the first eSubmission. To accomplish this, testing was performed through the gateway including: Form FDA 2253 (and accompanying promotional materials), advisory comments (launch and non-launch), enforcement actions, multiproduct submissions (grouped and ungrouped), and information request responses. The second step was to obtain internal alignment between involved functional areas to pilot a single brand. Finally, after a successful pilot program, eCTD submissions were expanded across all other brands. This paper discusses the stepwise approach taken, considerations for electronic submissions and results for improved efficiencies and cost savings. Implementing a well, laid-out plan, and starting the conversion early, allowed us to be thoughtful in our approach. The steps taken, and the successful outcomes achieved, demonstrate that there is no reason to wait for submitting promotional materials via the FDA gateway.

Ultra-processed food and beverage advertising on Brazilian television by International Network for Food and Obesity/Non-Communicable Diseases Research, Monitoring and Action Support benchmark

OBJECTIVE

To analyse the extent and nature of food and beverage advertising on the three major Brazilian free-to-air television (TV) channels.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study. A protocol developed for the International Network for Food and Obesity/Non-Communicable Diseases Research, Monitoring and Action Support was applied for data collection. A total of 432 h of TV programming was recorded from 06.00 to 24.00 hours, for eight non-consecutive and randomly selected days, in April 2018. All TV advertisements (ads) were analysed, and food-related ads were classified according to the NOVA classification system. Descriptive analyses were used to describe the number and type of ads, food categories and the distribution of ads throughout the day and time of the day.

SETTING

The three most popular free-to-air channels on Brazilian TV.

PARTICIPANTS

The study did not involve human subjects.

RESULTS

In total, 14·2 % (n 1156 out of 7991) of ads were food related (858 were specific food items). Approximately 91 % of food items ads included ultra-processed food (UPF) products. The top three most promoted products were soft drinks, alcoholic beverages and fast-food meals. Alcoholic beverage ads were more frequently broadcast in the evening.

CONCLUSION

The high risk of exposure of the Brazilian population to UPF ads should be considered a public health concern given the impact of unhealthy food advertising on people's food choices and health.

The extent and nature of television food advertising to children and adolescents in the Russian Federation

Objective:

To assess the frequency, healthfulness and promotional techniques of television food advertising to children and adolescents in the Russian Federation.

Design:

A cross-sectional study was conducted to monitor food and beverage television advertising. For the five most popular TV channels among children and adolescents, TV broadcasts were recorded for two weekdays and two weekends (320 h) during March–May 2017. Recordings were screened for advertisements. Food advertisements were categorised by food categories and as either ‘permitted’ or ‘not permitted’ for advertising to children in accordance with World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe Nutrient Profile Model (NPM), and promotional techniques in advertisements were recorded.

Results:

Overall, 11 678 advertisements were coded. Across all channels, food and drink (19·2 %) were the most frequently advertised product type. The most common food categories advertised were beverages (except juices, milk drinks and energy drinks) (24·1 %); yoghurts and other dairy foods (15 %); and chocolate and confectionery (12·3 %). A majority (64·2 %) of food and drink products advertised should not be permitted for advertising to children according to the NPM. The most frequently used persuasive appeals in the food advertisements were low price (15·4 %), product novelty (11·8 %) and enjoyment (10·0 %).

Conclusions:

Children and adolescents in the Russian Federation are likely exposed to a substantial number of unhealthy food advertisements. There is a need to consider policies to restrict children’s exposure to unhealthy food advertising on television in the Russian Federation.