The Influence of Cartoon Character Advertising on Fruit and Vegetable Preferences of 9- to 11-Year-Old Children
Speaker: Nandita Bezbaruah, PhD and Ardith Brunt, PhD, RD
Objective: The aim of the present study is to determine the influence of cartoon characters in preferences of fruit and vegetables among children.
Methods: A 10-item survey was used in this cross-sectional study to determine the factors that influence a child’s likelihood of eating fruits and vegetables. Seven factors influencing consumption of fruits and vegetables were rank ordered by 218 third- and fourth-grade students.
Results: Results indicated that the child was more likely to eat fruits or vegetables if they tasted good, followed by whether they were nutritious. Presence of a cartoon character on the label ranked 6 of 7. Sex does not affect the rank order of factors that influence intake of fruits or vegetables.
Conclusions and Implications: Future interventions aimed at increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables should take into consideration such factors that influence intake.