Adults’ recall of food and beverage ads and their susceptibility to such advertising: A cross-sectional study in Uruguay

Abstract Background Understanding how adults perceive the influence of food advertising on their own behavior is relevant for informing advocacy strategies to increase public support to regulatory actions. The objective of the study was to examine spontaneous recall of food and beverage ads across different media channels and self-perceived susceptibility to food and beverage advertising among adults living in Uruguay, a high-income Latin American country. Methods A cross-sectional telephone survey was conducted with a nationally representative sample of 1,000 Uruguayan adults recruited from a survey panel maintained by a market research company. Participants reported whether they had seen or heard a food or beverage ad in the preceding week and, if so, identified the medium and recalled the product or brand advertised. Perceived influence of advertising on purchasing decisions was assessed using a 5-point Likert scale. Logistic and ordinal regression models were used to examine associations with sociodemographic and health characteristics. Results 50.4% of participants reported having seen a food or beverage ad in the prior week, and 95.4% of these were able to spontaneously recall at least one specific ad. Television was the most frequently cited medium (60.7%), followed by social media or websites (51.2%). Recalled content was dominated by sodas (58.8%), ultra-processed foods and a small number of brands, particularly Coca-Cola (30.3%). Higher education, younger age and capital city residence were positively associated with recall. Despite high recall levels, participants generally reported low perceived influence of advertising on their own purchasing decisions (mean: 2.7/5). Younger adults and those of lower socioeconomic status perceived greater advertising influence. Conclusions Results highlight the need for initiatives aimed at increasing awareness of the effects of marketing on food-related decisions.