(Non)Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes in South African Parenting Magazines: How Marketing Regulations May Be Working

Sara Jewett, Sukoluhle Pilime and Linda Richter
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Sara Jewett: Division of Health & Society, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa
Sukoluhle Pilime: Division of Health & Society, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa
Linda Richter: DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Human Development, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 10, 1-12

Abstract: Although exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for the first six months is optimal for child health, it remains low globally. Breastmilk substitutes (BMS) marketing undermines breastfeeding. In 2012, South Africa introduced Regulation 991, which prohibits marketing BMS products for infants below 6 months. Our study aimed to explore if and how BMS products were presented in South African parenting magazines post-R991. We applied a mixed-methods cross-sectional content analysis design, analyzing all 2018 issues of two popular parenting magazines. We descriptively analyzed quantitative codes, derived from an a priori framework, and conducted qualitative content analysis on a subset of texts and images. We found there was no overt marketing of BMS to parents with infants below 6 months. However, BMS advertisements were placed next to articles about young infants, and vague wording and images were ways by which BMS companies may indirectly benefit. Medical experts in both magazines promoted the introduction of solids before six months. To conclude, while BMS companies in South Africa were abiding by R991 by not overtly advertising BMS in parental print media, their influence persists. Continued monitoring of print media as well as other channels is advisable. This study may be of interest to countries considering stronger regulations of BMS advertising.

Keywords: breastmilk substitutes; breastfeeding; the WHO code for the marketing of breastmilk substitutes; regulations; magazines; South Africa; sleeping; crying; posseting (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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