%0 Journal Article
%T Television viewing and exposure to food-related commercials among European school children, associations with fruit and vegetable intake: a cross sectional study
%A Knut-Inge Klepp
%A Marianne Wind
%A Ilse de Bourdeaudhuij
%A Carmen Rodrigo
%A Pernille Due
%A Mona Bjelland
%A Johannes Brug
%J International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
%D 2007
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1479-5868-4-46
%X A cross-sectional survey was performed in nine European countries, i.e. Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden, from October-December 2003, as a part of the Pro Children study. Data on usual intake of fruit and vegetables, and related correlates were collected by means of a self-administered questionnaire among 11-year-old school children (mean age 11.4 (sd = 0.48), 50.2% boys). Complete data was available for 13,035 children. Differences in exposure to TV ads between countries, gender and social class were explored by analysis of variance. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to test associations between exposure to TV ads and intake and to assess mediating effects.The large majority of children in all nine countries report recent exposure to a number of TV ads for food, and they were more often exposed to ads for unhealthy food than for fruit and vegetables (mean of 2.2 (sd = 1.0) unhealthy ads vs. mean of 1.7 (sd = 1.0) healthy ads; p < 0.001). Boys reported somewhat higher TV viewing than girls did (2.5 (sd = 1.7) vs. 2.2 (sd = 1.6) hours per day; p < 0.001), and children from lower social classes reported higher TV viewing than higher social class children did (2.4 (sd = 1.7) vs. 2.0 (sd = 1.5); p < 0.001). Across all countries, exposure to TV ads for healthy foods was positively associated (r = 0.09¨C0.16) with reported fruit and vegetable intake. This association was in part mediated by attitudes toward and liking of fruit and vegetables.Exposure to TV ads for fruit and vegetables appear to be associated with fruit and vegetable consumption among European school children. This relationship is in part mediated through cognitive factors such as attitudes and preferences concerning fruit and vegetables.A majority of European school children across various geographical settings report eating less fruit and vegetables than recommended [1]. A comprehensive review of potential determinants of fruit and vegetabl
%U http://www.ijbnpa.org/content/4/1/46