Deakin researchers are developing an automated tool to monitor how products linked to cancer risk are marketed to children.
This groundbreaking project combines wearable eye-tracking technology, artificial intelligence and public health research to examine the visual factors influencing children’s unhealthy habits like consuming junk food, alcohol and cigarettes.
The tool will gather data outside of laboratory settings, in real-world environments, providing valuable information for researchers, policy makers and public health practitioners to develop policies aimed at protecting children from the harmful effects of unhealthy advertising.
Cancer Council Australia reports that 1 in 3 cases of cancer in Australia is preventable, amounting to 44,000 cases per year. Evidence now shows that a poor diet, being overweight, minimal physical activity and excessive alcohol consumption collectively contribute to nearly the same number of cancer cases as smoking.
We know that advertising plays a key role in shaping children's attitudes, behaviours and purchasing habits. With children increasingly exposed to digital platforms, where marketing for junk food, alcohol and tobacco is ubiquitous, reducing this exposure is crucial to prevent future cancer cases.
Children have never been as engaged with digital and social media platforms as they are now, and with this comes an exposure to high volumes of junk food and alcohol marketing. This project is responding to an urgent need to protect the health of children around the world.
Professor Kathryn Backholer
School of Health and Social Development
Deakin researchers are investigating how children respond to various forms of advertising, particularly focusing on identifying the visual cues that influence unhealthy habits. Lead researcher Associate Professor Kathryn Backholer, known for her work in public health and cross-disciplinary research, that understanding these visual cues is crucial for shaping policies aimed at protecting children’s health.
The research team uses the iPupilX eye-tracking device, which can be worn during everyday activities, allowing data to be collected outside of laboratory settings. By tracking changes in pupil size, this device reveals how children engage with advertising in real-world environments, providing valuable insights into attention and focus.
The World Health Organisation has highlighted the urgent need for effective, ethical tools to monitor unhealthy advertising aimed at children. However, such tools do not yet exist. A major barrier to this work is collecting data from children in natural, real-world environments.
To address this, Deakin researchers are developing a solution that combines expertise in public health, policy, complex systems, and artificial intelligence. This cross-disciplinary approach is designed to overcome the challenges involved and create an effective tool for monitoring unhealthy advertising.
The project follows three key milestones:
If successful, this study will pave the way for further work in monitoring unhealthy advertising to children, with the goal of improving safety standards in Australia and overseas and sharing the tool with researchers around the world.
This project is funded by a Cancer Council Victoria Venture Grant and is supported through strong collaborations with leading organisations, such as Cancer Council, University of Sydney, University of Wollongong and the Obesity Policy Coalition.
If you want more information on this project, contact Associate Professor Kathryn Backholer.
