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

Rebecca Evans; Paul Christiansen; Travis Masterson; Catherine Pollack; Sondos Albadri; Emma Boyland

doi:10.1016/j.appet.2023.106584

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

Appetite. 2023 Jul 1:186:106584. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.106584. Epub 2023 Apr 29.

Authors

Rebecca Evans¹, Paul Christiansen², Travis Masterson³, Catherine Pollack⁴, Sondos Albadri⁵, Emma Boyland²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, Bedford Street South, Liverpool, L69 7ZA, UK. Electronic address: R.K.Evans@liverpool.ac.uk.
² Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, Bedford Street South, Liverpool, L69 7ZA, UK.
³ Department of Nutritional Sciences, College of Health and Human Development, The Pennsylvania State University, 226 Henderson, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
⁴ Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, 1 Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH, 03756, USA.
⁵ School of Dentistry, The University of Liverpool, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5PS, UK.

PMID: 37127245
DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.106584

Abstract

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

Keywords: Adolescents; Digital media; Food marketing; Gaming; Influencer marketing; Livestreaming.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Cross-Sectional Studies
Diet
Energy Drinks*
Female
Food
Humans
Internet
Male
Marketing / methods
Social Media*