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Oliffe JL, Kelly MT, Gao N, Velzeboer R, Sharp P, Li EPH. The Commercial Determinants of Men's Health Promotion: A Case Study of Gambling, Nonnies, and Athleisurewear. Am J Mens Health 2024; 18:15579883241277047. [PMID: 39254105 PMCID: PMC11402093 DOI: 10.1177/15579883241277047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Although the social determinants of health have guided equity work with the tailoring of men's health promotion programs, the role of, and potential for, the commercial determinants of health in those interventions is rarely addressed and poorly understood. While four commercial products, tobacco, alcohol, ultra-processed food, and fossil fuels, account for more than a third of global deaths, there is a need to recognize that consumer goods industries can make both positive and negative contributions to health. This article begins much-needed discussions about what we might learn from, and strategically tap in the commercial sector to seed, scale, and sustain men's health promotion programs. Three case studies, online sports betting, beer and the rise of the nonny, and athleisurewear, are discussed. Connections between online sports betting and masculinities explain young men's disproportionate involvement and gambling addictions with recommendations to legislate an end to gambling advertisements and de-incentivize industry profiteering through penalties and higher taxes. Regarding beer and the rise of the nonny, brewers have innovated with non-alcoholic beer based on shifting consumption patterns and masculinities in their core market-men. The nonny reminds health promoters to know their end-user's values and behaviors to bolster program acceptability. Detailing Under Armour and Lululemon, two highly gendered but diversifying athleisurewear brands, the complexities of, and potential for, leveraging public health and industry collaborations are underscored. Taken together, the article findings suggest men's health promoters should rigorously explore tapping key commercial entities and tax revenues to advance the health of men and their communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- John L Oliffe
- School of Nursing, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Nursing, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Mary T Kelly
- School of Nursing, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Nina Gao
- School of Nursing, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Rob Velzeboer
- School of Nursing, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Faculty of Management, The University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Paul Sharp
- School of Health Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Eric P H Li
- Faculty of Management, The University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
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Dargahi H, Kooshkebaghi M, Isazadeh N. Explaining the concepts and examples of conflict of interest and its management in the medical laboratory system of Iran: A scoping review. JOURNAL OF EDUCATION AND HEALTH PROMOTION 2024; 13:238. [PMID: 39297106 PMCID: PMC11410285 DOI: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_1672_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2024]
Abstract
The occurrence of conflict of interest (CoI) is assumed to be a big challenge facing all healthcare sectors, including the medical laboratory system (MLS). Therefore, this study aimed to explain the concepts and examples of CoI and its management within this system. This scoping review was fulfilled in 2023 in Iran. To this end, the Persian and English keywords of this study were searched on the Persian and English databases based on the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and the Arksey and O'Malley methodological framework. All retrieved articles were then imported into EndNote X8, and their quality was evaluated via the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). In total, 104 articles, of 6875 sources extracted, published from 2000 to 2023, were recruited following the identification and screening stages. Most articles had reported the maximum number of CoI examples in the MLS in diverse nations, including Iran, particularly in terms of structural, financial, objective, and subjective issues and primary and secondary interests among policymakers and higher-ranking managers of the healthcare system. Currently, CoI in healthcare systems, including the MLS, is unavoidable, but the best strategy, in preference to removing this situation, is to manage it under potential conditions before its occurrence and conversion into corruption. In view of that, it is recommended to provide effective training programs, increase transparency at work, facilitate compliance with professional guidelines, reform organizational structures and processes in the public sector, and establish policies best suited to manage CoI in the MLS of Iran.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Dargahi
- Department of Health Management, Policy and Economics, School of Public Health, Health Information Management Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdi Kooshkebaghi
- Department of Health Management, Policy and Economics, School of Public Health, Health Information Management Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nikzad Isazadeh
- Department of Spritual Health, Quran, Hadis and Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Slater S, Lawrence M, Wood B, Serodio P, Baker P. Corporate interest groups and their implications for global food governance: mapping and analysing the global corporate influence network of the transnational ultra-processed food industry. Global Health 2024; 20:16. [PMID: 38388413 PMCID: PMC10882744 DOI: 10.1186/s12992-024-01020-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A major challenge to transforming food systems to promote human health and sustainable development is the global rise in the manufacture and consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs). A key driver of this dietary transition is the globalization of UPF corporations, and their organized corporate political activity (CPA) intended to counter opposition and block government regulation. UPF industry CPA and the corporate interest groups who lobby on their behalf have been well described at the national level, however, at the global level, this network has not been systematically characterized. This study aims to map, analyse, and describe this network, and discuss the implications for global food policy action on UPFs, global food governance (GFG), and food systems transformation. METHODS We conducted a network analysis of the declared interest group memberships of the world's leading UPF corporations, extracted from web sources, company reports, and relevant academic and grey literature. Data on the characteristics of these interest groups were further extracted for analysis, including year founded, level, type, and headquarter location. RESULTS We identified 268 interest groups affiliated with the UPF industry. The UPF manufacturers Nestlé (n = 171), The Coca-Cola Company (n = 147), Unilever (n = 142), PepsiCo (n = 138), and Danone (n = 113) had the greatest number of memberships, indicating strong centrality in coordinating the network. We found that this network operates at all levels, yet key actors now predominantly coordinate globally through multistakeholder channels in GFG. The most common interest group types were sustainability/corporate social responsibility/multistakeholder initiatives, followed by branding and advertising, and food manufacturing and retail. Most corporate interest groups are headquartered where they can access powerful government and GFG decision-makers, nearly one-third in Washington DC and Brussels, and the rest in capital cities of major national markets for UPFs. CONCLUSIONS The UPF industry, and especially its leading corporations, coordinate a global network of interest groups spanning multiple levels, jurisdictions, and governance spaces. This represents a major structural feature of global food and health governance systems, which arguably poses major challenges for actions to attenuate the harms of UPFs, and to realising of healthy and sustainable food systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Slater
- School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia.
| | - Mark Lawrence
- School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia
- Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Benjamin Wood
- Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Paulo Serodio
- Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, UK
| | - Phillip Baker
- School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia
- Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
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Sanne I, Bjørke-Monsen AL. Dietary behaviors and attitudes among Norwegian medical students. BMC MEDICAL EDUCATION 2023; 23:220. [PMID: 37024871 PMCID: PMC10080805 DOI: 10.1186/s12909-023-04194-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dietary patterns and beliefs are influenced by socioeconomic status, cultural influences, as well as medical advice, social media and marketing. Medical doctors are expected to provide correct, updated and non-biased nutritional advice to their patients, but their own dietary behaviors and attitudes may influence nutritional counselling. METHODS We have investigated dietary habits and food attitudes among medical students by using an anonymous survey distributed to all students at the Medical Faculty, University of Bergen, Norway. The survey included a 36-item questionnaire covering information about demographics, former and current diet, use of nutritional supplements, tobacco and alcohol, in addition to food attitudes and nutritional knowledge. Descriptive statistics were calculated for each survey item. RESULTS Of the 880 students, 394 responded to the survey. Although 90% of the students were omnivores, the majority had a negative attitude towards meat, and considered fish to be healthier than meat. Significantly more women than men reported use of a special diet and excluded meat from their diet, even if they were omnivores. The most frequently used supplement was cod liver oil or omega 3 fatty acids. CONCLUSION The medical students' diet and food attitudes not only reflect current health recommendations, but also popular beliefs and marketing in Norway. Curriculum planners should make the students capable of recognizing the influence of social media, marketing and medicine-food industry interactions, to ensure relevant nutrition knowledge for future doctors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingebjørg Sanne
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Anne-Lise Bjørke-Monsen
- Laboratory of Medical Biochemistry, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Lillehammer, Norway.
- Laboratory of Medical Biochemistry, Førde Central Hospital, Førde, Norway.
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, 5021, Norway.
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Parker L, Bero L. Reducing commercial influence over guidelines won't fix poverty but is still worth striving for. BMJ 2023; 380:478. [PMID: 36868572 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.p478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Parker
- School of Pharmacy, Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Lisa Bero
- Center for Bioethics and Humanities, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Colorado, USA
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Rinaldi C, van Schalkwyk MCI, Egan M, Petticrew M. A Framing Analysis of Consultation Submissions on the WHO Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol: Values and Interests. Int J Health Policy Manag 2022; 11:1550-1561. [PMID: 34273930 PMCID: PMC9808336 DOI: 10.34172/ijhpm.2021.68] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In response to the magnitude of harms caused by alcohol, the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol (GAS) was endorsed in 2010. We analysed submissions to the 2019 WHO consultation on the implementation of the GAS to identify how different stakeholders frame alcohol use and control; and to assess how stakeholders engage with the consultation process, with possibly harmful consequences for public health policy. METHODS All submissions from WHO Member States, international organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), academic institutions and private sector entities were identified and used as data for an inductive framing analysis. This involved close reading and data familiarisation, thematic coding and identifying emergent framings. Through the analysis of texts, framing analysis can give insights into the values and interests of stakeholders. Because framing influences how issues are conceptualised and addressed, framing analysis is a useful tool to study policy-making processes. RESULTS We identified 161 unique submissions and seven attachments. Emerging frames were grouped according to their function: defining the problem, assigning causation, proposing solutions, or justifying and persuading. Submissions varied in terms of the framing they deployed and how this was presented, eg, how the problem was defined. Proposed policy solutions also varied. Targeted solutions emphasising individual responsibility tended to be supported by industry and some Member States. Calls for universal regulation and global mobilisation often came from NGOs and academia. Stakeholders drew on evidence and specific value systems to support the adoption of certain problem and solution ideas and to oppose competing framing. CONCLUSION Alcohol control is a contested policy field in which different stakeholders use framing to set the agenda and influence what policy solutions are considered legitimate. WHO should consider which interests are served by these different framings and how to weigh different stakeholders in the consultation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Rinaldi
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - May CI van Schalkwyk
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Matt Egan
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Mark Petticrew
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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Rinaldi C. Public-Private Partnerships With Unhealthy Commodity Industries: Are They Undermining Real Progress in Non-communicable Disease Prevention? Comment on "Competing Frames in Global Health Governance: An Analysis of Stakeholder Influence on the Political Declaration on Non-communicable Diseases". Int J Health Policy Manag 2022; 11:1212-1214. [PMID: 37579346 PMCID: PMC9808179 DOI: 10.34172/ijhpm.2021.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Public-private partnerships (PPPs) and whole-of-society approaches are increasingly common in public health promotion and non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention, despite a lack of evidence in favour of their effectiveness in improving health outcomes. While PPPs may have advantages, they also give industry actors more influence over the design and implementation of public health strategies and interventions. Partnering with unhealthy commodity industries in particular - including the alcohol and ultra-processed food and beverages industries - can pose significant risks to public health due to these industries' deep-rooted conflicts of interest. In this commentary, I reiterate Suzuki and colleagues' message about the importance of assessing and managing conflicts of interest before engaging with non-state actors through PPPs or other forms of engagement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Rinaldi
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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Buse K, Mialon M, Jones A. Thinking Politically About UN Political Declarations: A Recipe for Healthier Commitments-Free of Commercial Interests Comment on "Competing Frames in Global Health Governance: An Analysis of Stakeholder Influence on the Political Declaration on Non-communicable Diseases". Int J Health Policy Manag 2022; 11:1208-1211. [PMID: 34634885 PMCID: PMC9808168 DOI: 10.34172/ijhpm.2021.92] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
As evidence mounts that corporate actor engagement in United Nations (UN) policy-making processes leads to weaker and shallower public health commitments, greater attention is being paid to how to minimise undue interference and manage conflicts of interest (CoI). While we welcome efforts to develop normative guidance on managing such conflicts, we argue that there is the need to go further. In particular, we propose that an index be developed that would assess the health impacts of individual corporate actors, and those actors who fail to achieve a set benchmark would not have engagement privileges. We further propose the establishment of an independent panel of experts to advise on corporate actor engagement as well as on ambiguous and potentially health-harming commitments in text under negotiation in the UN. Recognising that the implementation of such measures will be contested, we recommend a number of practical steps to make their implementation more politically palatable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kent Buse
- Healthier Societies Program, The George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Mélissa Mialon
- Trinity Business School, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Alexandra Jones
- The George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Carriedo A, Lauber K, Miller MM, Ralston R. Lacking Clarity or Strategic Ambiguity? Comment on "Competing Frames in Global Health Governance: An Analysis of Stakeholder Influence on the Political Declaration on Non-communicable Diseases". Int J Health Policy Manag 2022; 11:1215-1218. [PMID: 34523859 PMCID: PMC9808189 DOI: 10.34172/ijhpm.2021.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
This commentary engages with Suzuki and colleagues' analysis about the ambiguity of multi-stakeholder discourses in the United Nations (UN) Political Declaration of the 3rd High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (HLM-NCDs), suggesting that blurring between public and private sector in this declaration reflects broader debates about multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs) and public-private partnerships (PPPs) in health governance. We argue that the ambiguity between the roles and responsibilities of public and private actors involved may downplay the role (and regulation) of conflicts of interest (COI) between unhealthy commodity industries and public health. We argue that this ambiguity is not simply an artefact of the Political Declaration process, but a feature of multi-stakeholderism, which assumes that commercial actors´ interests can be aligned with the public interest. To safeguard global health governance, we recommend further empirical and conceptual research on COI and how it can be managed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kathrin Lauber
- Tobacco Control Research Group, Department for Health, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Margaret M. Miller
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Rob Ralston
- Global Health Policy Unit, Social Policy, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Zenone M, Hawkins B. Powerful Allies and Weak Consensus: Towards a Deeper Understanding of how Health-Harming Industries Seek to Influence Global Health Governance Comment on "Competing Frames in Global Health Governance: An Analysis of Stakeholder Influence on the Political Declaration on Non-communicable Diseases". Int J Health Policy Manag 2022; 11:1222-1224. [PMID: 34814667 PMCID: PMC9808176 DOI: 10.34172/ijhpm.2021.136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Suzuki et al have identified commonalities in the policy positions adopted at a global forum by commercial sector actors and high-income countries (HICs), on the one hand, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), on the other, in ways that may allow commercial sector actors to block or delay evidence-based policies through the creation of political controversy. The ability of industry actors to draw on the support of the most politically and economically powerful countries for their favoured policy agenda is an important contribution to understanding the dynamics of global health governance in the area of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and beyond. Here we assess the relevance of this paper for the field of corporate actors' research and the potential avenues this opens up for further study. More specifically we emphasize the need for comparative, cross disciplinary research to examine the power of heath-harming industries and the relevance of these findings for decolonizing global health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Zenone
- Faculty of Public Health & Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Benjamin Hawkins
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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Ralston R, Bialous S, Collin J. Firm foundation or neglected cornerstone? The paradox of Article 5.3 implementation and the challenge of strengthening tobacco control governance. Tob Control 2022; 31:s1-s4. [PMID: 35260466 PMCID: PMC9125363 DOI: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2022-057344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rob Ralston
- Global Health Policy Unit, The University of Edinburgh School of Social and Political Science, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Stella Bialous
- Center for Tobacco Control, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jeff Collin
- Global Health Policy Unit, The University of Edinburgh School of Social and Political Science, Edinburgh, UK
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Ralston R, Hirpa S, Bassi S, Male D, Kumar P, Barry RA, Collin J. Norms, rules and policy tools: understanding Article 5.3 as an instrument of tobacco control governance. Tob Control 2022; 31:s53-s60. [PMID: 35393367 PMCID: PMC9125364 DOI: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2021-057159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, elaborated via its implementation guidelines, can be understood as a policy instrument comprising norms, rules and policy tools designed to shape practices of policy making and minimise tobacco industry interference. METHODS This qualitative research is based on in-depth interviews with officials from diverse government sectors and non-governmental organisations across countries (Ethiopia, India, Uganda) that have adopted measures to implement Article 5.3. RESULTS The data highlight varied perceptions and knowledge of Article 5.3 norms between health and non-health sectors. Health officials typically link its core norm of a fundamental conflict between public health and industry interests to the governance norm of protecting public health policies from industry interference. While officials in sectors beyond health broadly endorsed this core norm, they exhibited more limited awareness of Article 5.3 and its model of governance. The results examine how rules to implement Article 5.3 have been codified, but identify the absence of policy tools necessary to operationalise rules and norms. This limitation, alongside restricted awareness beyond health departments, suggests that political commitments to implement Article 5.3 will have limited impact on practices of stakeholder consultation and policy engagement with the tobacco industry. CONCLUSION Conceptualising Article 5.3 as a policy instrument helps to explain how its rules and policy tools interact with each other and with broader governance processes. This framework has the potential to enhance understanding of Article 5.3 and help identify opportunities and constraints in its implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rob Ralston
- Global Health Policy Unit, Social Policy, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- SPECTRUM Consortium (Shaping Public Health Policies to Reduce Inequalities and Harm), London, UK
| | - Selamawit Hirpa
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | - Denis Male
- School of Public Health, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Praveen Kumar
- Department of Commerce, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Rachel Ann Barry
- Global Health Policy Unit, Social Policy, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jeff Collin
- Global Health Policy Unit, Social Policy, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- SPECTRUM Consortium (Shaping Public Health Policies to Reduce Inequalities and Harm), London, UK
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Li X, Li Q. Does Margin Call Pressure Affect the M&A Decision of Controlling Shareholders With Equity Pledges: Evidence From Chinese Listed Company. Front Psychol 2022; 13:898118. [PMID: 35572306 PMCID: PMC9096544 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.898118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The equity pledge has become a universal practice in the world. Taking Chinese listed companies from 2007 to 2020 as a sample, this paper investigates the influence of controlling shareholders’ equity pledges on M&A behavior. It is found that the probability of M&A of listed companies is greater when the controlling shareholder has an equity pledge (or the proportion of equity pledge of controlling shareholder is higher). M&A activities can raise the stock price and play the role of market value management. Controlling shareholders with margin call pressure have stronger motivation to use M&A to increase their share price. Investors seem to be aware of this behavior and underestimate the potential benefits of M&A under this pressure. Propensity score matching (PSM) and difference in difference (DID) were used to test endogeneity and the results were still robust. Overall, our results reveal the impact of equity pledges by controlling shareholders on M&A. Furthermore, margin call pressure, this organizational psychology promotes this possibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xintao Li
- School of Business and Management, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qian Li
- School of Business and Management, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China
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Kraak VI. Advice for Food Systems Governance Actors to Decide Whether and How to Engage With the Agri-Food and Beverage Industry to Address Malnutrition Within the Context of Healthy and Sustainable Food Systems Comment on "Challenges to Establish Effective Public-Private Partnerships to Address Malnutrition in All Its Forms". Int J Health Policy Manag 2022; 11:401-406. [PMID: 34273934 PMCID: PMC9278466 DOI: 10.34172/ijhpm.2021.70] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The effectiveness of public-private partnerships (PPPs) to address malnutrition will depend on the issue, engagement purpose, policy context and actors' interactions. This commentary offers advice for governments, United Nations (UN) and civil society organizations to decide whether and how to engage with industry actors to improve diets for populations. First, food systems governance actors must acknowledge and reconcile competing visions, harmonize numerous corporate-engagement principles, and support a shared narrative to motivate collective actions toward healthy sustainable diets. Second, food systems governance actors have tools to guide engagement through many alliances, networks, coalitions and multi-stakeholder platforms with different levels of risk and trust. Third, food systems governance actors must prioritize accountability by setting corporate-performance threshold scores to justify private-sector engagement; evaluating engagement processes, outcomes and consequences; using incentives, financial penalties and social media advocacy to accelerate time-bound changes; and revoking UN consultative status for corporate actors who undermine healthy people and planet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivica I. Kraak
- Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
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Lacy-Nichols J, Williams O. "Part of the Solution": Food Corporation Strategies for Regulatory Capture and Legitimacy. Int J Health Policy Manag 2021; 10:845-856. [PMID: 34634883 PMCID: PMC9309978 DOI: 10.34172/ijhpm.2021.111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND For decades, the food industry has sought to deflect criticisms of its products and block public health legislation through a range of offensive and defensive strategies. More recently, food corporations have moved on to present themselves as "part of the solution" to the health problems their products cause. This strategic approach is characterised by appeasement, co-option and partnership, and involves incremental concessions and attempts to partner with health actors. This paper details how corporate practices have evolved and changed over the past two decades and gives some definition to what this new political economy signifies for the wider behaviours of corporations producing and selling harmful commodities. METHODS This paper draws on public health and political science literature to classify the food industry's "part of the solution" strategy into three broad components: regulatory responses and capture; relationship building; and market strategies. We detail the key characteristics and consequences of each component. RESULTS The three components of the food industry's "part of the solution" strategy all involve elements of appeasement and co-option. They also improve the political environment and resources of the food industry. Regulatory responses offer incremental concessions that seek to maintain corporate influence over governance processes and minimise the threat of regulations; relationship building fosters access to health and government stakeholders, and opportunities to acquire and maintain channels of direct influence; and market strategies to make products and portfolios healthier bolster the market share and revenue of food corporations while improving their public image. CONCLUSION Rather being a signal of lost position and power, the food industry's repositioning as "part of the solution" has created a highly profitable political economy of 'healthy' food production, alongside continued production of unhealthy commodities, a strategy in which it is also less burdensome and conflictual for corporations to exercise political power and influence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Lacy-Nichols
- Centre for Health Policy, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Owain Williams
- School of Politics and International Studies, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
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Baker P, Lacy-Nichols J, Williams O, Labonté R. The Political Economy of Healthy and Sustainable Food Systems: An Introduction to a Special Issue. Int J Health Policy Manag 2021; 10:734-744. [PMID: 34836454 PMCID: PMC9309973 DOI: 10.34172/ijhpm.2021.156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Today's food systems are contributing to multiple intersecting health and ecological crises. Many are now calling for transformative, or even radical, food systems change. Our starting assumption in this Special Issue is the broad claim that the transformative changes being called for in a global food system in crisis cannot - and ultimately will not - be achieved without intense scrutiny of and changes in the underlying political economies that drive today's food systems. The aim is to draw from diverse disciplinary perspectives to critically evaluate the political economy of food systems, understand key challenges, and inform new thinking and action. We received 19 contributions covering a diversity of country contexts and perspectives, and revealing inter-connected challenges and opportunities for realising the transformation agenda. We find that a number of important changes in food governance and power relations have occurred in recent decades, with a displacement of power in four directions. First, upwards as globalization has given rise to more complex and globally integrated food systems governed increasingly by transnational food corporations (TFCs) and international financial actors. Second, downwards as urbanization and decentralization of authority in many countries gives cities and sub-national actors more prominence in food governance. Third, outwards with a greater role for corporate and civil society actors facilitated by an expansion of food industry power, and increasing preferences for market-orientated and multi-stakeholder forms of governance. Finally, power has also shifted inwards as markets have become increasingly concentrated through corporate strategies to gain market power within and across food supply chain segments. The transformation of food systems will ultimately require greater scrutiny of these challenges. Technical 'problem-solving' and overly-circumscribed policy approaches that depoliticise food systems challenges, are insufficient to generate the change we need, within the narrow time-frame we have. While there will be many paths to transformation, rights-based and commoning approaches hold great promise, based on principles of participation, accountability and non-discrimination, alongside coalition building and social mobilization, including social movements grounded in food sovereignty and agroecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip Baker
- Institute for Physical Activity & Nutrition, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Jennifer Lacy-Nichols
- Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Owain Williams
- School of Politics and International Studies, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Ronald Labonté
- School of Public Health and Epidemiology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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Maani N, Van Schalkwyk MC, Petticrew M, Ralston R, Collin J. The new WHO Foundation - global health deserves better. BMJ Glob Health 2021; 6:bmjgh-2021-004950. [PMID: 33547178 PMCID: PMC7871260 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-004950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 01/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nason Maani
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, Greater London, UK .,SPECTRUM Consortium (Shaping Public Health Policies to Reduce Inequalities and Harm), Edinburgh University, Edinburgh, UK
| | - May Ci Van Schalkwyk
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Mark Petticrew
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, Greater London, UK.,SPECTRUM Consortium (Shaping Public Health Policies to Reduce Inequalities and Harm), Edinburgh University, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Rob Ralston
- SPECTRUM Consortium (Shaping Public Health Policies to Reduce Inequalities and Harm), Edinburgh University, Edinburgh, UK.,Global Health Policy Unit, School of Social and Political Science, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jeff Collin
- SPECTRUM Consortium (Shaping Public Health Policies to Reduce Inequalities and Harm), Edinburgh University, Edinburgh, UK.,Global Health Policy Unit, School of Social and Political Science, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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18
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Lauber K, Rutter H, Gilmore AB. Big food and the World Health Organization: a qualitative study of industry attempts to influence global-level non-communicable disease policy. BMJ Glob Health 2021; 6:e005216. [PMID: 34117011 PMCID: PMC8202098 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-005216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION There is an urgent need for effective action to address the over 10 million annual deaths attributable to unhealthy diets. Food industry interference with policies aimed at reducing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is widely documented at the national level but remains under-researched at the global level. Thus, this study explores how ultra-processed food industry actors have attempted to influence NCD policy at WHO. METHODS A combination of inductive and deductive thematic coding of internal industry documents, academic literature and interviews with key informants from international organisations and global civil society was used to identify action-based strategies ultra-processed food industry actors employ to influence global-level policy. RESULTS Ultra-processed food industry actors have attempted to influence WHO and its policies through three main action-based strategies: coalition management, involvement in policy formulation, and information management. Coalition management includes the creation and use of overt alliances between corporations-business associations-and more covert science-focused and policy-focused intermediaries, the hiring of former WHO staff and attempted co-option of civil society organisations. Industry involvement in policy formulation is operationalised largely through the lobbying of Member States to support industry positions, and business associations gaining access to WHO through formal consultations and hearings. Information management involves funding and disseminating research favourable to commercial interests, and challenging unfavourable evidence. CONCLUSION We provide novel insights into how ultra-processed food industry actors shape global-level NCD policy and identify a clear need to guard against commercial interference to advance NCD policy. In their approach, the political behaviour of multinational food corporations bears similarities to that of the tobacco industry. Increased awareness of, and safeguarding against, commercial interference at the national as well as the global level have the potential to strengthen the crucial work of WHO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Lauber
- Tobacco Control Research Group, Department for Health, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Harry Rutter
- Department of Social and Policy Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Anna B Gilmore
- Tobacco Control Research Group, Department for Health, University of Bath, Bath, UK
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Knai C, Petticrew M, Capewell S, Cassidy R, Collin J, Cummins S, Eastmure E, Fafard P, Fitzgerald N, Gilmore AB, Hawkins B, Jensen JD, Katikireddi SV, Maani N, Mays N, Mwatsama M, Nakkash R, Orford JF, Rutter H, Savona N, van Schalkwyk MCI, Weishaar H. The case for developing a cohesive systems approach to research across unhealthy commodity industries. BMJ Glob Health 2021; 6:e003543. [PMID: 33593757 PMCID: PMC7888371 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2020-003543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Most non-communicable diseases are preventable and largely driven by the consumption of harmful products, such as tobacco, alcohol, gambling and ultra-processed food and drink products, collectively termed unhealthy commodities. This paper explores the links between unhealthy commodity industries (UCIs), analyses the extent of alignment across their corporate political strategies, and proposes a cohesive systems approach to research across UCIs. METHODS We held an expert consultation on analysing the involvement of UCIs in public health policy, conducted an analysis of business links across UCIs, and employed taxonomies of corporate political activity to collate, compare and illustrate strategies employed by the alcohol, ultra-processed food and drink products, tobacco and gambling industries. RESULTS There are clear commonalities across UCIs' strategies in shaping evidence, employing narratives and framing techniques, constituency building and policy substitution. There is also consistent evidence of business links between UCIs, as well as complex relationships with government agencies, often allowing UCIs to engage in policy-making forums. This knowledge indicates that the role of all UCIs in public health policy would benefit from a common approach to analysis. This enables the development of a theoretical framework for understanding how UCIs influence the policy process. It highlights the need for a deeper and broader understanding of conflicts of interests and how to avoid them; and a broader conception of what constitutes strong evidence generated by a wider range of research types. CONCLUSION UCIs employ shared strategies to shape public health policy, protecting business interests, and thereby contributing to the perpetuation of non-communicable diseases. A cohesive systems approach to research across UCIs is required to deepen shared understanding of this complex and interconnected area and also to inform a more effective and coherent response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécile Knai
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- SPECTRUM Consortium, UK
| | - Mark Petticrew
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- SPECTRUM Consortium, UK
| | - Simon Capewell
- Department of Public Health, Policy & Systems, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Rebecca Cassidy
- Department of Anthropology, Goldsmiths University of London, London, UK
| | - Jeff Collin
- SPECTRUM Consortium, UK
- Global Public Health Unit, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Steven Cummins
- Population Health Innovation Lab, Department of Public Health, Environments & Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Elizabeth Eastmure
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Patrick Fafard
- Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Niamh Fitzgerald
- SPECTRUM Consortium, UK
- Institute for Social Marketing and Health, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - Anna B Gilmore
- SPECTRUM Consortium, UK
- Tobacco Control Research Group, Department for Health, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Ben Hawkins
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Jørgen Dejgård Jensen
- Institute of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | | | - Nason Maani
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- SPECTRUM Consortium, UK
- School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nicholas Mays
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | - Rima Nakkash
- Health Promotion and Community Health, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Jim F Orford
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- King's College London, London, UK
| | - Harry Rutter
- Department of Social and Policy Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, Bath and North East Somer, UK
| | - Natalie Savona
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - May C I van Schalkwyk
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Heide Weishaar
- Center for International Health Protection, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
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