Background: Sponsorship of football teams by detrimental industries may negatively impact fans' dietary and behavioral choices. The study aimed to determine the proportion of sponsors on the jerseys of teams in the top ten football leagues that comprise companies producing alcohol or unhealthy food, or engaging in gambling.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective study, incorporating data from first-division football teams in 10 countries (Argentina, Brazil, England, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United States) playing from 2000-2022. Data were collected on the primary sponsors displayed on team jerseys and categorized into alcohol, unhealthy food (defined as producers of ultra-processed food according to the NOVA classification), gambling, or other, based on the nature of the products or services offered by the sponsors. We performed descriptive statistical analyses and multivariate linear regression analyses.
Results: A total of 4452 sponsorship records were analyzed. The majority were classified as "other" (81.8%), followed by gambling (6.9%), alcohol (2.6%), and unhealthy food (2.6%). We did not identify any sponsor representing the tobacco industry. The prevalence of gambling sponsors surged from 1.7% in 2000 to 16.3% in 2022. Conversely, alcohol-related sponsorships dwindled from 6.2% in 2000 to 1.0% in 2022. In the multivariate linear regression model, these trends were statistically significant. The alcohol industry remained visible in the Spanish league.
Conclusions: A significant proportion of sponsorships on the jerseys of top football teams across the world represents alcohol, ultra-processed food, or the gambling industry. Trends in the types of sponsors on the jerseys of leading football clubs across the Western world are diverse. Particularly concerning is the recent increase in the percentage of clubs sponsored by the gambling industry. To limit the detrimental effects of the promotion of unhealthy products, novel policies should be considered.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11547780 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu16213606 | DOI Listing |
Introduction: In the last decade, concussions and subconcussive brain trauma in football and other high impact sports have become of increasing concern. Tackling, in youth football, accounts for a high proportion of head impacts and injuries, including concussions. Thus, minimizing head impact severity during tackling may help in reducing concussion risk and subconcussive brain trauma.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
January 2025
LFE Research Group, Department of Health and Human Performance, Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Science-INEF, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
During breaks or playing period changes, players' accumulated workload, physiological alterations, body composition factors, sleep, and health-related qualities can factor into soccer performance. This research examined the impact of prolonged pauses, including breaks due to the 2022 FIFA World Cup and an earthquake tragedy, on running displacements and ball in-play duration during the 2022/23 Turkish Super League season. The secondary purpose was to determine the relationship between performance metrics and competition outcomes (i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
January 2025
Center for Psychiatry Research and Center for Cognitive and Computational Neuropsychiatry, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 17177, Sweden.
Soccer is arguably the most widely followed sport worldwide, and many dream of becoming soccer players. However, only a few manage to achieve this dream, which has cast a significant spotlight on elite soccer players who possess exceptional skills to rise above the rest. Originally, such attention was focused on their great physical abilities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Science, University of Hull, Hull, United Kingdom.
Background: Youth soccer players in the UK transition into the professional game at 16 years of age. Understanding the differences between youth and professional standards can help coaches and clubs to support player development during this transition.
Objectives: To (i) assess the differences in technical and possession statistics between different age groups (U16, U18, U23) and outfield positions (central defender [CD], wide defender [WD], central midfielder [CM], attacking midfielder [AM], wide midfielder [WM], striker [ST]), within an English academy soccer programme, during match-play.
Front Sports Act Living
December 2024
Unit of Cardiac Rehabilitation, Hospital Center of Corbie, Corbie, France.
Background: The teams' collective playing strategy rather than the individual player attitudes could explain event outcome and risk of injuries.
Objective: The study aimed to examine the playing style of European teams and compare it to the USA.
Method: 12 matches from the U19 European championship of American Football were analysed.
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!