How Facebook Food Ads Affect Teen Eating Habits
Examining the Mechanisms Underlying the Influence of Facebook Food Advertisements on Adolescents' Eating Behaviors: Randomized Controlled Trials
This project looks at how food advertisements on Facebook influence what teenagers choose to eat.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York University School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11116999 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
We want to understand how food ads on social media, especially Facebook, shape the eating choices of teenagers. This involves showing different types of food ads to young people to see how they react and what they decide to eat afterward. We are also interested in whether ads targeted to specific racial groups, like Black adolescents, have a different impact on their diet. The goal is to uncover the specific reasons why these ads might lead to less healthy eating habits during a critical time for developing lifelong health.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants for this research would be adolescents, particularly those aged 13-17, who use social media platforms like Facebook.
Not a fit: Patients who are not adolescents or do not use social media would likely not directly benefit from participating in this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help develop strategies to protect adolescents from harmful food advertising and promote healthier eating habits.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have shown that TV food ads influence children's eating, and some research suggests a link between self-reported TV ad exposure and poor diet in adolescents, but social media and racially targeted ads are less explored.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- New York University School of Medicine — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bragg, Marie — New York University School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Bragg, Marie
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.