2025/12/22 by Ashleigh Haynes, Alison McAleese, Ashlee Ball +1 · 1 voice
Medicine · #Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet #Smoking Behavior and Cessation #Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
paper · doi:10.1071/pu25080
openalex created_date 2025/12/22 · openalex publication_date 2025/12/22 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/11
OBJECTIVES: Exposure to unhealthy food and alcohol advertising in childhood and adolescence can influence preferences and later consumption. A fragmented and ineffective network of regulations and guidelines covers outdoor advertising of alcohol to children in Victoria, and regulations for unhealthy food/non-alcoholic drinks are even less comprehensive. The aim of this study was to quantify the prevalence, size, and youth appeal of unhealthy food and drink (including alcohol) marketing at a major public transit hub in Melbourne: Southern Cross Station. This location is not subject to the Department of Transport and Planning rules regarding placement of unhealthy product marketing that apply to other public transport in Victoria. METHODS: A manual audit of all advertisements located inside Southern Cross station (including on internal walls, hanging from the ceiling, freestanding on concourse, walkways and platforms) took place over 4 days in June and July 2024. From photographs, researchers categorised all advertisements as either alcohol, food/non-alcoholic drink (and then as either unhealthy [discretionary] or healthy [core, based on Australian Dietary Guidelines]), or other; and coded the size of the advertisement. Food/drink (including alcohol) advertisements were coded for the presence of features with youth appeal using a validated measure. A total advertising power score for youth appeal was calculated. Mann-Whitney U-tests examined differences in size and youth appeal between categories. RESULTS: A total of 858 advertisements were identified: n = 213 (24.8%) were for food/non-alcoholic drinks (most of which were unhealthy, 83.1%), and n = 202 (23.5%) were for alcohol. Alcohol advertisements were significantly larger than both non-alcoholic drink and food/non-alcoholic drink advertisements combined (each P < 0.0001), and had a significantly higher number of features with youth appeal and a higher youth appeal score than both non-alcoholic drinks and food/non-alcoholic drinks combined (all P < 0.05). Youth appeal was also significantly higher for unhealthy than healthy food/non-alcoholic drink advertisements (P = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS: Advertisements for unhealthy food and drink, including alcohol, at Southern Cross station are prevalent, prominent and powerful in their potential appeal to youth. A coherent and comprehensive approach to regulating the content of advertising on public transport and in outdoor spaces is needed to protect children and adolescents.