The Relationship Between Media Food Marketing Influence and Unhealthy Food Intake in Parent–Adolescent Dyads: An Actor–Partner Interdependence Model

Media food marketing (MFM) may greatly influence adolescents’ and parents’ dietary behaviors through direct and mutual influences, yet the interplay of these dynamics is unexplored. This study investigated the impact of parents’ and adolescents’ trust in MFM on their own and each other’s unhealthy food consumption (actor and partner effects). Parent–adolescent dyadic data (n = 1656 dyads) collected from the 2014 Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health and Eating study were analyzed. Actor–Partner Interdependence Models were estimated to assess for actor and partner effects of MFM trust/influence on unhealthy food intake (i.e., detrimental food, junk food, sugar-sweetened beverages, fast and convenience foods) while accounting for dyadic interdependence. Covariates included parents’ and adolescents’ age and sex, and parents’ health literacy, food insecurity, and food label reading habits. Parents’ and adolescents’ higher MFM trust/influence were related to their higher unhealthy food intake (actor effects). Parents’ higher MFM trust/influence was also associated with unhealthy food intake in adolescents (partner effect). Partner effects from adolescents to parents were found for sugar-sweetened beverages only. Parents’ and adolescents’ MFM trust/influence was related to adolescents’ unhealthy food intake, highlighting the need to address it in both parents and adolescents to reduce adolescents’ unhealthy dietary intake.