The goal of this study is to provide much needed scientific evidence about whether the Philadelphia beverage tax is associate with changes in beverage availability and targeted marketing, with a focus on drinks commonly consumed by children ages 0-5 and Black and Latinx households with young children. Specific aims include: (1) Compare changes in retail availability (large and small retailers) of the beverages most frequently consumed by young children ages 2-5 (based on national data) following the implementation of the beverage tax in Philadelphia compared with Baltimore (a control city without a tax); (2) Assess whether beverage marketing for young children in Philadelphia includes different amounts of local media (i.e., TV, magazine, Internet) and advertising via mobile devices for taxed beverages and sweetened, non-taxed beverages (e.g., flavored milk) compared to Baltimore; and (3) Evaluate whether Black and Latinx families with children ages 0 to 5 in Philadelphia and Baltimore are exposed to more beverage advertising on digital device media and local media compared to white families.
Start Date: April 2021
ID #: 283-4131
Principal Investigator: Erica Kenney, ScD, MPH
Organization: President and Fellows of Harvard College
Funding Round: SSB4
Race/Ethnicity: African American or Black, Latino(a) or Hispanic
Focus Areas: Beverages, Early Childhood, Food Marketing, Food Retail
Resource Type: Grant Summary
State: Pennsylvania
Age Groups: Pregnant women, infants and toddlers (ages 0 to 2), Preschool-age children (ages 3 to 5)
Keywords: Sugar-sweetened beverages, Taxes
Related Research
September 2023
Advertising and Stocking at Small Retailers: A Sweetened Beverage Excise Tax in Philadelphia
In 2017, Philadelphia enacted a $0.015 per ounce excise tax on SBs that covered both sugar-sweetened beverages and artificially-sweetened beverages, which reduced purchasing and consumption. This study assessed whether the tax also changed beverage advertising or stocking practices that could influence consumer behavior among stores in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Philadelphia-adjacent counties not subject to the MoreNovember 2023
State Agency Perspectives on Successes and Challenges of Administering the Child and Adult Care Food Program
The federal Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) improves nutrition and reduces food insecurity for young children while helping cover food costs for care providers and families. Despite its important benefits, the program is underutilized. This report uses qualitative interviews with state CACFP administrators representing 28 states to explore federal and state policies and practices that support or discourage CACFP participation among licensed child MoreNovember 2023