Associations between neighborhood sociodemographics and prevalence of beverage marketing among food retail stores in Seattle, WA.

Abstract

Objective: To assess the prevalence of in-store and exterior SSB and non-SSB advertisements in Seattle, WA by neighborhood income and racial/ethnic composition. Methods: We conducted in-store audits of food retail stores to collect information about SSBs and non-SSBs, including assessment of the presence of in-store and exterior beverage marketing in Seattle, Washington. We employed four separate multivariable Poisson regression models to examine in-store marketing of both SSB and non-SSB as a function of 1) neighborhood income and 2) racial/ethnic composition. We then employed two separate multivariable logistic regression models to examine the association between exterior SSB marketing neighborhood sociodemographics. Results: A total of 147 food retail stores were included in the analysis. Neighborhoods in the middle tertile for percentage of non-Hispanic Black or Hispanic residents had a significantly higher prevalence of in-store SSB (PR=1.62; 95% CI: 1.03, 2.55) and non-SSB (PR=1.68; 95% CI: 1.02, 2.76) advertisements, compared to neighborhoods with the lowest percentage of non-Hispanic Black or Hispanic residents. In-store non-SSB advertisements were significantly more prevalent (PR=1.44; 95% CI: 1.08, 1.93) in middle-income neighborhoods compared to low-income neighborhoods. Racial/ethnic composition and median household income were not statistically significantly associated with odds of having any exterior SSB advertisements. Conclusions: Marketing of in-store and exterior SSBs and non-SSBs may not be strongly targeted towards lower income neighborhoods, but racial/ethnic composition may be associated with the prevalence of in-store SSB and non-SSB advertisements. Continued monitoring is warranted given the dynamic nature of beverage marketing in the food environment and its impact on public health.