New Release
Kid Influencer Marketing: Gaps in Current Policies and Research

Kid influencers on social media expose children to advertisements for unhealthy foods and beverages. A recent study found that 40% of kid influencer videos featured a food or drink placement, and 94% of those were for unhealthy foods and drinks. This issue brief discusses what we know about “kid influencer” food marketing, as well as policy recommendations to address this new marketing practice.

Our Latest Research
      Sugary Drink Marketing
 
Marketing of Sugar-Sweetened Children’s Drinks and Parents’ Misperceptions about Benefits for Young Children
Parents in this study described front-of-package label claims, images, and other marketing messages on sugar-sweetened children's drinks as confusing, deceptive, and misleading. Learn more.
 
The Impact of Pictorial Health Warnings on Purchases of Sugary Drinks for Children
Pictorial warnings reduced parents’ purchases of sugary drinks for their children in this naturalistic trial. Learn more.
 
Front-of-Package Claims & Imagery on Fruit-Flavored Drinks and Exposure by Household Demographics
Most fruit drinks, 100% juices, and flavored waters purchased by households with 0-5-year-olds contained front-of-package claims and imagery that may lead consumers to believe the beverages are healthy and natural. Learn more.
 
           Online Food Retail
 
Developing a Digital Food and Nutrition Literacy Model for Low-income Adults to Make Healthy Choices in Online Food Retail
The expansion of online grocery services underscores the need for people to have digital literacy skills to make healthy dietary choices online. This review analyzed the literature to develop a digital food and nutrition literacy model. Learn more.
 
An Equity-oriented Systematic Review of Online Grocery Shopping among Low-income Populations
Online grocery services are an emerging component of the food system, with the potential to address disparities in access to healthy food. This review assessed barriers and facilitators of equitable access to healthy foods in the online grocery environment. Learn more.
 
Online Grocery Retail Policies and Practices Affecting Healthy Food Access
This study aimed to describe policies and practices of online grocery retailers that may affect healthy food access, including fees, access to nutrition information, and lack of data privacy. Learn more.
 
COVID-19 and Federal Nutrition Programs
 
Recognizing and Supporting School Meal Programs as a Critical Nutrition Safety Net
School closures due to COVID-19 significantly disrupted children’s access to school meals in 2020 and 2021, and shifting to providing meals-to-go brought numerous financial and implementation challenges for schools. Learn more.
 
SNAP During the COVID-19 Pandemic
This brief presents COVID-19 related challenges for SNAP participants and administrators and key findings from studies on SNAP waivers and online grocery ordering. Learn more.
 
WIC During the COVID-19 Pandemic
This brief presents COVID-19 related challenges to accessing WIC services and key findings from studies on WIC remote services and online grocery ordering. Learn more.
Upcoming Events
Event Recording: Global Hunger, Nutrition, and Food Insecurity: Challenges and Promising Solutions
During this presentation organized by HER and hosted by the Duke Global Health Institute, hunger and food insecurity experts discuss challenges and opportunities to ending global hunger and promising systems and policy approaches to reduce food insecurity and disparities. Recording available here.
 
March 24, 2022, 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET: Webinar: Reaching Grand families and Older Adults with Nutrition Messages for the Young Children in their Care
This session will discuss the state of grandfamilies and multi-generational living in the United States, the critical role that nutrition programs like WIC play in supporting healthy and strong grandfamilies, and resources available to support grandfamilies with information and messaging about healthy beverages and complementary foods for infants and toddlers. Featuring speakers from 1,000 Days, Generations United, and Healthy Eating Research. Registration here.
Funding Opportunities
RWJF Interdisciplinary Research Leaders
This year's call for applications is open until May 4. The program is looking for changemakers who want to focus on dismantling structural racism and improving health and health equity. Info here.
 
RWJF Evidence for Action: Innovative Research to Advance Racial Equity
Studies should focus on upstream causes of health inequities, such as the systems, structures, laws, policies, norms, and practices that determine the distribution of resources and opportunities, which in turn influence individuals’ options and behaviors. Info here.