Poor cooking skills may be a barrier to healthy eating and a contributor to overweight and obesity. Little population-representative data on adult cooking skills has been published. We explored prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of cooking skills among adult respondents to wave 1 of the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (2008–9). Socio-demographic variables of interest were sex, age group, occupational socio-economic group and whether or not respondents had the main responsibility for food in their households. Cooking skills were assessed as self-reported confidence in using eight cooking techniques, confidence in cooking ten foods, and ability to prepare four types of dish (convenience foods, a complete meal from ready-made ingredients, a main meal from basic ingredients, and cake or biscuits from basic ingredients). Frequency of preparation of main meals was also reported. Of 509 respondents, almost two-thirds reported cooking a main meal at least five times per week. Around 90 % reported being able to cook convenience foods, a complete meal from ready-made ingredient, and a main dish from basic ingredients without help. Socio-demographic differences in all markers of cooking skills were scattered and inconsistent. Where these were found, women and main food providers were most likely to report confidence with foods, techniques or dishes, and respondents in the youngest age (19–34 years) and lowest socio-economic group least likely. This is the only exploration of the prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of adult cooking skills using recent and population-representative UK data and adds to the international literature on cooking skills in developed countries. Reported confidence with using most cooking techniques and preparing most foods was high. There were few socio-demographic differences in reported cooking skills. Adult cooking skills interventions are unlikely to have a large population impact, but may have important individual effects if clearly targeted at: men, younger adults, and those in the least affluent social groups.

Gambling operators in the United Kingdom have introduced a voluntary ban on adverts broadcast during televised sport before 21:00 (the 'whistle-to-whistle' ban). To inform debates around the potential effectiveness of this ban, we examine the frequency and nature of gambling marketing in televised broadcasts across professional sporting events. Frequency analysis of verbal and visual gambling marketing references during television broadcasts of football (n = 5), tennis, Formula 1, boxing and rugby union (each n = 1) from 2018. For each gambling reference, we coded: whether it appeared in-play or out-of-play; location (e.g. pitch-side advertising); format (e.g. branded merchandise); duration (s); number of identical references visible simultaneously; brand; and presence of age restriction or harm-reduction messages. Boxing contained the most gambling references, on average, per broadcast minute (4.70 references), followed by football (2.75), rugby union (0.55) and tennis (0.11). Formula 1 contained no gambling references. In boxing, references most frequently appeared within the area-of-play. For football and rugby union, references most frequently appeared around the pitch border or within the area-of-play (e.g. branded shirts). Only a small minority of references were for adverts during commercial breaks that would be subject to the whistle-to-whistle ban (e.g. 2% of references in football). Less than 1% of references in boxing and only 3% of references in football contained age restriction or harm-reduction messages. As gambling sponsorship extends much beyond adverts in commercial breaks, the 'whistle-to-whistle' ban will have limited effect on gambling exposure. Gambling sponsorship activities rarely contain harm-reduction messages.

This study examined the frequency and nature of alcohol marketing references in broadcasts of the 2016 UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) European Championships football tournament in the United Kingdom (UK). Eighteen matches from across the tournament were recorded in full as broadcast in the UK, including all four matches featuring the English national team and all seven featuring the French national team. All visual and verbal references to alcohol marketing were recorded using a tool with high inter-rater reliability. A total of 2213 alcohol marketing references were recorded, an average of 122.94 per broadcast and 0.65 per broadcast minute (0.52 per minute in-play and 0.80 per minute out-of-play). Almost all references were visual (97.5%), with 77.9% occurring around the pitch border. Almost all (90.6%) were indirect references to alcohol brands (e.g., references to well-known slogans), compared to only 9.4% direct references to brands (e.g., brand names). The frequency of references to alcohol marketing was high. Although the overall proportion of direct brand references was low, the high proportion of indirect references demonstrates that alcohol producers were able to circumvent the French national law governing alcohol marketing (the Loi Évin) using indirect “alibi marketing”. To ensure the spirit of the Loi Évin regulations are achieved, stricter enforcement may be required to limit exposure to alcohol marketing, particularly for young people.

Background: Tobacco displays at point of sale have been shown to increase young people’s pro-smoking attitudes, susceptibility to smoking and smoking initiation. In Scotland, legislation that prohibited tobacco point-of-sale displays was implemented in large stores (i.e. those > 280 m²) in April 2013 and in small retailers in April 2015. Objective: To assess the impact of the point-of-sale tobacco display ban on young people’s exposure to tobacco advertising, their attitudes to smoking and smoking susceptibility, and their risk of smoking initiation. Design: Multimodal before-and-after study design using mixed methods to collect data at baseline (2013) and then longitudinally for 4 years. Setting: Four main study communities in the central belt of mainland Scotland, UK, purposively selected to reflect two levels of urbanity (urban vs. small town) and two levels of deprivation (high vs. medium/low). Four matched communities. Participants: In the main study communities, 94 tobacco retail outlets. All Secondary 2 (aged 13 years) and Secondary 4 (aged 15 years) pupils in 2013 and 2014 together with all Secondary 1 to Secondary 6 (aged 12–17 years) pupils in 2015–17. This included 6612 pupils who completed 14,344 questionnaires over 5 years. Three hundred and eighty-two participants in 80 focus groups who were recruited from Secondary 2 and Secondary 4 in 2013–17. In matched communities, 24 retail panel members in 2013–17. Main outcome measures: Tobacco product and tobacco storage visibility, density of retail outlets (the number of retailers in a pre-defined area such as a residential neighbourhood), tobacco product exposure, brand awareness, perceived accessibility of tobacco, pro-smoking attitudes, pro-smoking norms, smoking susceptibility and smoking initiation. Data platform and methods: The study had four components – a mapping and spatial analysis of retail outlets; a tobacco marketing audit, including retail panel interviews in matched communities; school surveys; and focus group discussions with secondary school pupils. Limitations: The study was based on a small number of communities and did not include communities in remote areas. Results: Compliance with the point-of-sale legislation in Scotland was high. This led to a large reduction in the visibility of tobacco products in retail outlets. However, when the results were stratified by socioeconomic status, declines in retailer density, weighted by total product visibility, were restricted to the least disadvantaged tertile of participants. Nevertheless, the implementation of the legislation was associated with a reduction in risk of both smoking susceptibility and smoking initiation in young people, as well as a reduction in the perceived accessibility of tobacco and in pro-smoking attitudes after both the partial and the comprehensive bans were introduced. Conclusions: The Scottish point-of-sale legislation has been successful in reducing the overall visibility of tobacco products and is associated with improvements in attitudinal and behavioural outcomes in young people. However, cues that tobacco is for sale are still highly visible, particularly in retail outlets in areas of deprivation. In addition, the increase in retailer density that was observed after 2015 increased inequalities in product visibility. There was also evidence that the emergence of e-cigarettes may have disrupted the full impact of the legislation. Future work: Our research indicates that further research is needed to examine the longitudinal relationships between tobacco outlet availability and product visibility inequalities; and the impact of e-cigarettes and standardised packaging on smoking initiation and prevalence. Funding: This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Public Health Research programme and will be published in full in Public Health Research; Vol. 8, No. 1. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

The consumption of alcohol by young people remains a major public health concern at both the national and international level. Levels of drinking among 15-yearolds in the United Kingdom (UK) remain significantly higher than the European average. This study explored how alcohol brands are used by young people to develop their desired identities and how these acts of consumption extend to young people’s profiles on social media. It also deepens understanding of how alcohol brands are connected to young peoples’ concerns about image and peer group dynamics. This involved qualitative focus groups with young people aged 14–17 in Central Scotland. Certain alcohol brands were approved and viewed as socially acceptable by young people, while others were rejected. Children as young as 14 were selecting products to portray a drinking identity that was appropriately aligned to their gender and sexuality. Participants displayed a desire to associate themselves with the mature drinking culture personified by some brands, whilst simultaneously distancing themselves from immature drinking practices associated with others. Publicly associating with alcohol brands on social media carried with it potential risks to peer group acceptance. Understanding how young people perceive alcohol brands, the importance of social media in communicating that identity to their peers and the role that alcohol brands play in adolescent identity formation is an important first step to reforming alcohol marketing regulations.

The advertising of e-cigarettes in the UK is regulated through the revised EU Tobacco Products Directive and the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations, with further rules set out in the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) Committees of Advertising (CAP) Code. Focusing on the ASA CAP Code Rules, we examined e-cigarette advertising regulation compliance in traditional advertising channels and on social media. We conducted a content analysis of UK e-cigarette and related product advertising using a randomly selected sample (n = 130) of advertising in traditional channels and on Instagram which appeared between January and December 2019. All ads were independently double-coded to assess compliance with each CAP Code Rule. In traditional channels, our sample of advertising had largely good compliance. Only very small numbers of these ads appeared to be clearly in breach of any of the ASA rules (5% were in breach of Rule 22.7; 2% of Rule 22.9; and 1% of Rule 22.10). In contrast, we judged that all of the Instagram sample (n = 30) was in breach of Rule 22.12. For some rules, it was not possible to make definitive judgments about compliance, given uncertainty regarding how a rule should be interpreted and applied. We found overall good compliance for advertising in traditional channels, but assessed all of our social media advertising samples was in breach of regulations. Current guidance on e-cigarette advertising could be improved to facilitate e-cigarette advertising assessment and regulation. It would be beneficial to bring consumer perspectives into the assessment of regulation compliance. The regulation of e-cigarette advertising is a global concern. The UK Government has a statutory obligation to review the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations by May 2021. This study assessed compliance with current UK e-cigarette advertising regulations on placement and content. We identified areas where greater clarity is needed and outlined implications for future regulation.