Research Article
Disparate Advertising of Sugary Drinks: An Analysis of Beverages Promoted in Circulars from Grocery Stores in High- and Low-Income New York City Zip Codes
Danna Ethan1* Lalitha Samuel2 Corey H Basch3 Rodney Hammond41Assistant Professor, Health Education and Promotion, Department of Health Sciences, Lehman College, The City University of New York, USA
2Assistant Professor, Dietetics, Foods, and Nutrition, Department of Health Sciences, Lehman College, The City University of New York, USA
3Assistant Professor of Public Health, William Paterson University, USA
- Corresponding Author:
- Danna Ethan, Ed.D., M.S.W
Assistant Professor, Health Education and Promotion
Department of Health Sciences, Lehman College
The City University of New York, Gillet Hall
Room 334, 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West
Bronx, NY 10468, USA
Tel: (646) 322-4517
Fax: (718) 960-8908
E-mail: danna.ethan@lehman.cuny.edu
Received Date: December 09, 2013; Accepted Date: December 24, 2013; Published Date: December 27, 2013
Citation: Ethan D, Samuel L, Basch CH, Hammond R (2013) Disparate Advertising of Sugary Drinks: An Analysis of Beverages Promoted in Circulars from Grocery Stores in High- and Low-Income New York City Zip Codes. J Community Med Health Educ 4:265. doi:10.4172/2161-0711.1000265
Copyright: © 2013 Ethan D, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
Background: The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) has been associated with an increased risk of chronic disease including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and coronary heart disease. A correlation between low socioeconomics (SES) status and higher SSB intake has also been established.
Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze the calorie content and added sugar in beverages advertised in circulars of grocery stores in high- and low-income New York City zip codes.
Methods: Across a two-month period, we analyzed various nutritional characteristics of beverage products advertised on the front page of online circulars from grocery stores in 5 low- and 5 high-income New York City zip codes.
Results: Three-fourths of beverage products for sale in circulars from low-income zip codes were sugar-sweetened (74.4%) as compared with just over one-third advertised in those from high-income zip codes (35.7%).
Conclusion: High-calorie, sugary beverages are being marketed and priced to sell by grocery stores serving low SES populations with high SSB consumption patterns. Health education and promotion efforts that grocery stores can implement to contribute to chronic disease prevention are discussed.
