Abstract

Objectives

There is limited research focused explicitly on understanding how commercial actors use different forms of power to influence policy decision making in Thailand. This study aimed to identify how the food industry has used structural, instrumental and discursive power to influence policy on restricting food marketing in Thailand.

Study design

Qualitative study using in-depth semistructured interviews

Settings

Thailand.

Participants

The interviews were conducted with 20 participants (of a total of 29 invited actors) from government, civil society, technical experts, international organisation and the food and advertising industry. Interview data were identified in the transcripts and analysed using abductive methods.

Results

Non-commercial actors perceived the commercial actors’ structural power (its economic influence and structurally privileged position) as central to understanding the government having not implemented policy to restrict food marketing. The commercial actors’ instrumental power was observed through sponsorship, campaign and lobbying activities. Discursive power was used by the industry to shift responsibility away from the food companies and onto their customers, by focusing their messaging on freedom of consumer choice and consumer health literacy.

Conclusions

This study examined different types of power that commercial actors were perceived to use to influence policy to restrict food marketing in Thailand. The study showed arguments and institutional processes used to enhance commercial actors’ ability to shape the policy decision for nutrition, public opinion and the broader regulatory environment. The findings help governments and other stakeholders to anticipate industry efforts to counter policy. The findings also suggest the need for governance structures that counter industry power, including comprehensive monitoring and enforcement in policy implementation.

Details

Title
How commercial actors used different types of power to influence policy on restricting food marketing: a qualitative study with policy actors in Thailand
Author
Phulkerd, Sirinya 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Collin, Jeff 2 ; Ngqangashe, Yandisa 3 ; Thow, Anne Marie 4 ; Schram, Ashley 3 ; Carmen Huckel Schneider 4 ; Friel, Sharon 3 

1  Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University, Salaya, Thailand 
2  Global Health Policy Unit, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK 
3  Menzies Centre for Health Governance, School of Regulation and Global Governance, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia 
4  Menzies Centre for Health Policy and Economics, School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 
First page
e063539
Section
Health policy
Publication year
2022
Publication date
2022
Publisher
BMJ Publishing Group LTD
e-ISSN
20446055
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-063539
ProQuest document ID
2724927326
Copyright
© 2022 Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ This is an open access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited, appropriate credit is given, any changes made indicated, and the use is non-commercial. See:  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ . Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.