Violation of Food Advertising Regulations in Iran: A Systematic Review

Maryam Amini, Delaram Ghodsi, Azizollaah Zargaraan, Sepideh Alibeyk, Maryam HajigholamSaryazdi

Abstract


Background: The prevalence of non‑communicable diseases (NCDs) and the status of nutritionally high‑risk behaviors in the country are not promising. Because of undeniable impact of media advertising on food choices, to combat the problem some regulations on food advertisements are developed in the country. However, the high prevalence of NCDs warns of the possibility that either the laws are not given the necessary attention or they are not implemented properly. Therefore in the present review, all studies on how the country’s visual and written mass media comply with regulations related to food product advertisement were systematically reviewed. Methods: We searched all studies, including Persian and English articles, dissertations, and research projects, published and unpublished reports in eight domestic and international databases and search engines during the years 1996 to December of 2020 (25 years). Then, the content of the eligible studies was extracted, evaluated, and reported. Results: A total of 18 eligible studies (articles and reports) were included in the review. The results indicated violations of rules and regulations including displaying food products of low nutritional value and obese people, misleading/exaggerating claims, award offers, induction of gluttony, consumerism, and inconsistency with scientific facts. Most of the studies (55%) had, implicitly or explicitly, targeted children and adolescents. Conclusions: The results of this study indicated a violation of the rules and regulations of health policies, mainly in the field of promoting foods of low nutritional value during the study period. Violations of the ban on advertising for children were also reported in more than half of the studies.

Keywords


Advertisement; food products; health policy; health regulation; mass media; systematic review

Full Text:

PDF

References


Peykari N, Hashemi H, Dinarvand R, Haji‑Aghajani M,

Malekzadeh R, Sadrolsadat A, et al. National action plan for

non‑communicable diseases prevention and control in Iran;

a response to emerging epidemic. J Diabetes Metab Disord

;16:1‑7.

Noncommunicable diseases. Available from: https://www.who.

int/news‑room/fact‑sheets/detail/noncommunicable‑diseases.

Reeve B, Gostin LO. “Big” food, tobacco, and alcohol: Reducing

industry influence on noncommunicable disease prevention laws

and policies comment on “addressing NCDs: Challenges from

industry market promotion and interferences”. Int J Health

Policy Manag 2019;8:450‑4.

Healthy Diet. Available from: https://www.who

.int/en/news‑room/fact‑sheets/detail/healthy‑diet.

Zargaraan A, Dinarvand R, Hosseini H. Nutritional traffic

light labeling and taxation on unhealthy food products in Iran:

Health policies to prevent non‑communicable diseases. Iran Red

Crescent Med J 2017;19:1‑2.

Story M, French S. Food advertising and marketing directed at

children and adolescents in the US. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act

;1:1‑17.

Chernin A. The effects of food marketing on children’s

preferences: Testing the moderating roles of age and gender.

ANNALS Am Acad Polit Soc Sci 2008;615:101‑18.

Harris JL, Bargh JA, Brownell KD. Priming effects of

television food advertising on eating behavior. Health Psychol

;28:404‑13.

Lovitz D. Food advertising: A primer on the regulation of

misleading advertisements. Today’s Dietitians. The Magazine

for Nutrition Professionals. Available on:http://docplayer.

net/48108449-Food-advertising-a-primer-on-the-regulationof-misleading-ads-by-dara-lovitz-esq.html. [Last accessed on

Oct 11].

Kunkel D, Gantz W. Assessing compliance with industry

self‑regulation of television advertising to children. Appl

Commun Res 1993;21:148‑62. doi: 10.1080/00909889309365363

Campbell A. Should government regulate advertising to children

on the world wide web? Gonz. L. Rev 1997;33.

Nicklas T, Elkasabany A, Srinivasan S, Berenson G. Trends in

nutrient intake of 10‑year‑old children over two decades: The

Bogalusa Heart Study. Am J Epidemiol 2001;153:969‑77.

EU Country Commercial Guides, European Union. US

Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration;

p. 111. available on: https://www.trade.gov/countrycommercial-guides/eu-market-overview. [Last access on 2021

Nov 02].

WHO: Better food and nutrition in Europe. Progress report. 2018.

monitoring policy implementation in the WHO European Region.

World Health Organization. Avilable at: https://apps.who.int/iris/

handle/10665/345370. [Last accessed on 2020 Nov 10].

Advertising standards and the law. Available from: https://

www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/buying‑products‑and‑services/

advertising‑and‑pricing/advertising‑standards‑and‑the‑law. [Last

access on 2021 Oct 20].

Ramanathan S. Advertising self‑regulation in Australia and

Asia. Malaysia. Published by: Asian Federation of advertising

Associations and International Advertising Association — Asia

Pacific 2011.

Vendrell R, Venegas HL, Pérez CM, Morell C, Roman RV,

Torres EA. Differences in prevalence of inflammatory

bowel disease in Puerto Rico between commercial and

government‑sponsored managed health care insured individuals.

Bol Asoc Med P R 2013;105:15‑9.

Laillou A, Gerba H, Zelalem M, Moges D, Abera W, Chuko T,

et al. Is the legal framework by itself enough for successful

WHO code implementation? A case study from Ethiopia. Matern

Child Nutr 2021;17:e13059.

Jaichuen N, Vandevijvere S, Kelly B, Vongmongkol V,

Phulkerd S, Tangcharoensathien V. Unhealthy food and

non‑alcoholic beverage advertising on children’s, youth and

family free‑to‑air and digital television programmes in Thailand.

BMC Public Health 2018;18:1‑9.

Parliament's Research Center of Iran. The regulation on the

establishment and monitoring of the work and activity of

advertising centers. Iran 1978. Available on: https://rc.majlis.ir/fa/

law/show/99508. [Last access on 2020 Nov 08].

Parliament's Research Center of Iran. The Law on Protection of

Consumers’ Rights. In. Iran; 2009.

Parliament's Research Center of Iran. The 5th 5‑years

Development Plan of Iran. 2011.

MOHME National document on the prevention and control of

non‑communicable diseases and related risk factors in the Islamic

Republic of Iran in the period from 2014 to 2014. Ministry of

Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran 2015.

PRISMA_2020_checklist.pdf. Available from: http://

prisma‑statement.org/documents/PRISMA_2020_checklist.pdf.

Ferdows F. Radio and television violate the law by publicly

advertising goods that are harmful to health. Khabar Online

News Agancy. 2019. Available on:https://www.khabaronline.ir/

news/1277487/. [Last access on 2020 Aug 06].

Hajizadehoghaz M, Amini M, Abdollahi A. Iranian television

advertisement and children’s food preferences. Int J Prev Med

;7:128.

Etemad K, Ebrahimi P, Azimi H, Lotfi M, Nojomi M. A content

analysis of health‑related advertisements in Islamic Republic of

Iran broadcasting (IRIB). Med J Islamic Repub Iran 2016;30:1‑9.

Etemad K, Heidari A, Lotfi M. The television advertisements

of health‑threatening products. J Health Res Community

;2:61‑5.

Movahhed T, Seifi S, Rashed Mohassel A, Dorri M, Khorakian F,

Mohammadzadeh Z. Content analysis of Islamic Republic of

Iran television food advertising related to oral health: Appeals

and performance methods. J Res Health Sci 2014;14:205‑9.

Amini M, Omidvar N, Yeatman H, Shariat‑Jafari S,

Eslami‑Amirabadi M, Zahedirad M. Content analysis of food

advertising in Iranian children’s television programs. Int J Prev

Med 2014;5:1337‑42.

Abdollahian H, Ojagh Z. Foods advertised on television in terms

of nutritional value and impact on childhood obesity. Commun

Res 2012;19:93‑108.

Boroujerdiealavi MD, Haddad N. Ethical values presented in

the advertisements of the television of the Islamic Republic of

Iran (for selling food to children and adolescents). Cul Commun

Stud 2012;13:213‑54.

Boroujerdiealavi MD, Irani‑Poornazari E. The degree

of compliance of the commercial advertisements of the

First Channel of the Islamic Republic of Iran TV with the

advertisement instructions of IRIB. Soc Sci Q 2011:245‑79.

Karami K, Cheraghi M. A glance of children health related food

advertisements on channel 2 and News network of Iran. Pak J

Nutr 2011;10:1029‑31.

Omidvar N, Amini M. Content Analysis of Main Channels of

Nutrition Information for School Age Chidren in Iran. Tehran,

Iran: National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute;

Mirzae H, Amini S. Content analysis of TV commercial

messages with emphasis on social class and lifestyle. Cult Stud

Commun 2006;2:135‑53.

Maryam A, Mehdi MR, Masood K, Mosoomeh G, Nasrin O,

Yadollah M. Food advertising on Iranian children’s television:

A content analysis and an experimental study with junior high

school students. Ecol Food Nutr 2005;44:123‑33.

Shahhosseini M. A survey on structure of advertisements in

Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, content analysis of

advertisements brodacasted between TV series on channels 1 and

Iran: The Research Project of Research Studies and Evaluation

Center of IRIB radio and TV Program, 2001.

Mohammadpour‑Ahranjani B, Abdollahi M, Pakravan M.

Nutritional messages in Iranian newspapers: A content analysis.

Payesh 2003;2:63‑71.

Poornowrooz M, Naghibosadat R. Content analysis of

advertisements aimed at children, broadcast from Iran TV, during

the first half of year 1376. Tehran: The research project of

research studies and evaluation center of I.R.I.B. radio and TV

program; 1998.

Boroujerdiealavi MD: A content analysis of advertisements in

five Iranian TV channels during one day. The first meeting of the

Advertising Industry in Iran, Iran, 1998. p. 154‑182.

Dibaji F, Aghakiant HD. Determination of the time Proportion

of TV Advertisements on I.R.I.B. in One Week. Research studies

and evaluation center of I.R.I.B. Iran: I.R.I.B; 1997.

Boyland E, Thivel D, Mazur A, Ring‑Dimitriou S,

Frelut ML, Weghuber D. Digital food marketing to young

people: A substantial public health challenge. Ann Nutr Metab

;76:6‑9.

Boelsen‑Robinson T, Backholer K, Peeters A. Digital marketing

of unhealthy foods to Australian children and adolescents. Health

Promot Int 2015;31:523‑33.

Vassallo AJ, Kelly B, Zhang L, Wang Z, Young S, Freeman B.

Junk food marketing on Instagram: Content analysis. JMIR

Public Health and Surveillance 2018;4:e54.

Freeman B, Kelly B, Baur L, Chapman K, Chapman S, Gill T, et al. Digital junk: Food and beverage marketing on Facebook.

Am J Public Health 2014;104:e56‑64.

Alyousif Z, Alkhunain N, Dahl WJ, Mathews AE. A content

analysis of food advertising in Arab Gulf countries during

Ramadan. Health Promot Int 2020;35:1267‑72.

Akçil Ok M, Ercan A, Kaya FS. A content analysis of food

advertising on Turkish television. Health Promot Int 2016;31:801‑8.

Hossain MS, Siddiqee MH. Is childhood overweight/obesity

perceived as a health problem by mothers of preschool aged

children in bangladesh? A community level cross‑sectional study.

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2019;16.:202. doi: 10.3390/

ijerph 16020202.

Castonguay J, Bakir A, Blodgett JG. An exploration of

health‑consciousness and character weight as factors influencing

adolescents’ perceptions of a healthy food ad. J Food Prod

Market 2022;28:242‑55.

Melo FVS, Farias SA, Kovacs MH, Damascena EO. Obese’s

people role in brazilian advertising: An analysis of fit consumer’s

perspective. Afr J Bus Manag 2014;8:366‑72.

Greenberg BS, Eastin M, Hofschire L, Lachlan K, Brownell KD.

Portrayals of overweight and obese individuals on commercial

television. Am J Public Health 2003;93:1342‑8.

Amini M, Mohsenian‑Rad M, Kimiagar M, Omidvar N,

Ghaffarpour M, Mehrabi Y. Food advertising on Iranian

children’s television: A content analysis and an experimental

study with junior high school (vol 44, pg 124, 2005). Ecol Food

Nutr 2005;44:343.

Abrahams Z, Temple NJ, Mchiza ZJ, Steyn NP. A study of food

advertising in magazines in South Africa. J Hunger Environ Nutr

;12:429‑41.

Ijaz F, Hashmi NJ. Violation of Islamic Ideology in Pakistani TV

Advertisements: Semiotic Discourse Analysis. Int Rev Soc Sci.

;8;38-50. Available on: www.irss.academyirmbr.com. [Last

access on 2021 May 05].

Garcia JD, Medina IG. Children, media and food. Food

advertising aimed at children audience in Spanish TV. 2020.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-21000/v2.

Norman J, Kelly B, McMahon A‑T, Boyland E, Baur LA,

Chapman K, et al. Children’s self‑regulation of eating provides

no defense against television and online food marketing. Appetite

;125:438‑44.

Harris JL, Yokum S, Fleming‑Milici F. Hooked on junk:

Emerging evidence on how food marketing affects adolescents’

diets and long‑term health. Curr Addict Rep 2021;8:19‑27.

Tangcharoensathien V, Chandrasiri O, Kunpeuk W, Markchang K,

Pangkariya N. Addressing NCDs: Challenges from industry market

promotion and interferences. Int J Health Policy Manag 2019;8:256.

Cowling K, Magraw D. Addressing NCDs: Protecting health

from trade and investment law: Comment on” addressing NCDs:

Challenges from industry market promotion and interferences”.

Int J Health Policy Manag 2019;8:508‑10.