Project

Mapping and addressing the commercial drivers of tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food consumption in Belgium

Code
DOCT/012910
Duration
20 December 2024 → 21 September 2025 (Ongoing)
Research disciplines
  • Social sciences
    • Marketing communications
  • Medical and health sciences
    • Health promotion and policy
    • Public health nutrition
Keywords
Consumer behaviour Primordial prevention food environment Science-Policy interface Marketing regulations
 
Project description

Commercial determinants of health (CDoH) are defined as the “systems, practices, and pathways through which commercial actors promote health and equity” and are increasingly recognized as a powerful influence on the development and implementation of recommended best-practice policies to prevent noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). This project will map, for the first time, the various CDoH associated with the main risk factors for cancer and other NCDs, namely tobacco, alcohol, and unhealthy, highly processed food consumption in Belgium. Furthermore, concrete solutions will be developed that governments can implement to effectively address these CDoH. The methodologies include mapping the political activities (strategies, practices, and mechanisms) of the tobacco, alcohol, and food industries in general and in relation to specific policy measures using established frameworks; assessing the NCD burden caused by the tobacco, alcohol, and ultra-processed food industries; developing group models with government and non-government actors; and conducting elite interviews with industry representatives to systematically examine CDoH in Belgium and identify concrete solutions. The study will examine the extent to which these industries target vulnerable groups and the extent to which their activities contribute to health-related inequalities in Belgium. Similarities and potential differences between industries will be highlighted.