Media food marketing and eating outcomes among pre‐adolescents and adolescents: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Summary The media marketing's effect on child and adult eating has been extensively researched, yet, little is known about its effect on adolescents. The aim of this review is to synthesize available research on the relation between media food marketing and eating‐related cognitions, attitudes, and behaviors among pre‐adolescents (8‐11) and adolescents (12‐19). We systematically screened and retrieved 9324 articles, of which 28 were included in the review‐analysis and 19 in the meta‐analysis. Robust variance estimation with random effect weights indicated a positive small standard effect size (d = 0.26, P < .001) of media food marketing on all unhealthy eating outcomes, and a subgroup analysis revealed a small effect size (d = 0.26, P < .001) on unhealthy eating behaviors specifically. Another subgroup analysis among adolescents revealed an effect of marketing (d = 0.22, P < .05) on unhealthy eating outcomes. This review demonstrates the significance of media marketing on eating in pre‐adolescents and adolescents, and highlights limitations in the food marketing and adolescent eating literature specific to eating outcomes and marketing media studied and research designs utilized. We call for properly designed food marketing research exploring digital media's effect on eating attitudes and cognitions, especially among older adolescents.