Marie Bragg

Marie Bragg
Marie Bragg
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Assistant Professor of Public Health Nutrition

Professional overview

Dr. Marie Bragg’s work focuses on identifying and affecting environmental and social factors associated with obesity, food marketing, and health disparities.

Trained as a Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Bragg  utilizes psychology and public health research methods to study food policy and obesity, and her research advocates for changes in US food policy and population-level solutions - not only individual behavior change. Her research has examined the impact of racially targeted food and beverage marketing on adolescents; catalogued the food and beverage industry’s use of music celebrity and professional athlete endorsements in promoting unhealthy products; evaluated various marketing techniques used on packaged foods in supermarkets and outdoor advertisements; and assessed how labeling and intrapersonal and social factors influence food and beverage preferences. Her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the NYC Department of Health, and has resulted in numerous peer-reviewed articles.

At the SeedProgram, Dr. Bragg conducts research on obesity, health disparities, and international and domestic food policy, in order to provide policymakers and organizations with evidence-based guidance on improving the world’s diet and health outcomes. Her research program allows students to collect data, conduct qualitative coding analyses, assist with manuscript development and grant submissions, and draft IRB applications. Additionally, her students have published papers and posters, and received funding for their own projects.

Education

BS, Psychology and BA, English, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
MS, Clinical Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT
MPhil, Clinical Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT
Clinical Internship, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY
PhD, Clinical Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT

Honors and awards

Jane Olejarczyk Award, Yale University (2012)
Yale Graduate Teaching Center Fellowship, Yale University (2012)
Yale University Dissertation Fellowship, Yale University (2012)
William Kessen Teaching Award, Yale University (2011)

Areas of research and study

Food
Nutrition
Obesity
Public Health Nutrition
Public Health Policy

Publications

Publications

Menu Labeling and Calories Purchased in Restaurants in a US National Fast Food Chain

Rummo, P. E., Mijanovich, T., Wu, E., Heng, L., Hafeez, E., Bragg, M. A., Jones, S. A., Weitzman, B. C., & Elbel, B. (n.d.).

Publication year

2023

Journal title

JAMA network open

Volume

6

Issue

12

Page(s)

E2346851
Abstract
Abstract
Importance: Menu labeling has been implemented in restaurants in some US jurisdictions as early as 2008, but the extent to which menu labeling is associated with calories purchased is unclear. Objective: To estimate the association of menu labeling with calories and nutrients purchased and assess geographic variation in results. Design, Setting, and Participants: A cohort study was conducted with a quasi-experimental design using actual transaction data from Taco Bell restaurants from calendar years 2007 to 2014 US restaurants with menu labeling matched to comparison restaurants using synthetic control methods. Data were analyzed from May to October 2023. Exposure: Menu labeling policies in 6 US jurisdictions. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was calories per transaction. Secondary outcomes included total and saturated fat, carbohydrates, protein, sugar, fiber, and sodium. Results: The final sample included 2329 restaurants, with menu labeling in 474 (31468 restaurant-month observations). Most restaurants (94.3%) were located in California. Difference-in-differences model results indicated that customers purchased 24.7 (95% CI, 23.6-25.7) fewer calories per transaction from restaurants in the menu labeling group in the 3- to 24-month follow-up period vs the comparison group, including 21.9 (95% CI, 20.9-22.9) fewer calories in the 3- to 12-month follow-up period and 25.0 (95% CI, 24.0-26.1) fewer calories in the 13- to 24-month follow-up period. Changes in the nutrient content of transactions were consistent with calorie estimates. Findings in California were similar to overall estimates in magnitude and direction; yet, among restaurants outside of California, no association was observed in the 3- to 24-month period. The outcome of menu labeling also differed by item category and time of day, with a larger decrease in the number of tacos vs other items purchased and a larger decrease in calories purchased during breakfast vs other times of the day in the 3- to 24-month period. Conclusions and Relevance: In this quasi-experimental cohort study, fewer calories were purchased in restaurants with calorie labels compared with those with no labels, suggesting that consumers are sensitive to calorie information on menu boards, although associations differed by location..

Food and Beverage Product Appearances in Educational, Child-Targeted YouTube Videos

Tsai, K. A., Pan, P., Liang, C., Stent-Torriani, A., Prat, L., Cassidy, O., Pomeranz, J. L., & Bragg, M. A. (n.d.).

Publication year

2022

Journal title

Childhood Obesity

Volume

18

Issue

8

Page(s)

515-522
Abstract
Abstract
Background: Food advertisement exposure is associated with children's increased caloric intake, but little is known about food/beverage placements in child-oriented educational YouTube videos. We aimed to quantify the prevalence of food/beverages in these videos and assess their nutritional quality. Methods: Researchers identified child-oriented educational YouTube videos from 2020, using keyword searches. We coded the names of featured food/beverages, coded how the food/beverages were interacted with, quantified the number of minutes the food/beverages appeared, and assessed the nutritional quality of the food/beverages. Results: A sample of 400 videos with the highest number of views was identified, 165 of which featured food/beverages. These 165 videos were collectively viewed over 1.1 billion times. Among these videos, 108 (67.4%) featured unhealthy foods and 86 (52.1%) featured branded products. Most food/beverages were used in experiment/tutorials (n = 143, 86.7%). Of the 165 videos featuring food/beverages, 91 (55.2%) did not depict food/beverages in their video thumbnail. Conclusions: While unhealthy food/beverages appear frequently in child-oriented educational YouTube videos, parents and teachers may not be aware of the presence of branded food/beverage products in these videos that could influence their children's food and brand preferences. The Federal Trade Commission should collect data on food and beverage company sponsorship of educational videos aimed at children and adolescents.

Comparing McDonald’s food marketing practices on official Instagram accounts across 15 countries

Cassidy, O., Shin, H. W., Song, E., Jiang, E., Harri, R., Cano, C., Vedanthan, R., Ogedegbe, G., & Bragg, M. (n.d.).

Publication year

2021

Journal title

BMJ Nutrition, Prevention and Health

Volume

4

Issue

2

Page(s)

511-518
Abstract
Abstract
Background Social media advertising by fast food companies continues to increase globally, and exposure to food advertising contributes to poor diet and negative health outcomes (eg, cardiovascular disease). McDonald’s—the largest fast food company in the world—operates in 101 countries, but little is known about their marketing techniques in various regions. The objective of this study was to compare the social media advertising practices of McDonald’s—the largest fast food company in the world—in 15 high-income, upper-middle-income and lower-middle-income countries. Methods We randomly selected official McDonald’s Instagram accounts for 15 high-income, upper-middle-income and lower-middle-income countries. We captured all the screenshots that McDonald’s posted on those Instagram accounts from September to December 2019. We quantified the number of followers, ‘likes’, ‘comments’ and video views associated with each account in April 2020. We used content analysis to examine differences in the marketing techniques. Results The 15 accounts collectively maintained 10 million followers and generated 3.9 million ‘likes’, 164 816 comments and 38.2 million video views. We identified 849 posts. The three lower-middle-income countries had more posts (n=324; M, SD=108.0, 38.2 posts) than the five upper-middle-income countries (n=227; M, SD=45.4, 37.5 posts) and seven high-income countries (n=298; M, SD=42.6, 28.2 posts). Approximately 12% of the posts in high-income countries included child-targeted themes compared with 22% in lower-middle-income countries. Fourteen per cent of the posts in high-income countries included price promotions and free giveaways compared with 40% in lower-middle-income countries. Conclusions Social media advertising has enabled McDonald’s to reach millions of consumers in lower-middle-income and upper-middle-income countries with disproportionately greater child-targeted ads and price promotions in lower-middle-income countries. Such reach is concerning because of the increased risk of diet-related illnesses, including cardiovascular disease, in these regions.

Student-led research team-building program may help junior faculty increase productivity in competitive biomedical research environment

Bragg, M., Arshonsky, J., Pageot, Y., Eby, M., Tucker, C. M., Yin, S., Goldmann, E., & Jay, M. (n.d.).

Publication year

2021

Journal title

BMC Medical Education

Volume

21

Issue

1
Abstract
Abstract
Background: Interdisciplinary research teams can increase productivity among academic researchers, yet many junior investigators do not have the training or financial resources to build productive teams. We developed and tested the acceptability and feasibility of three low-cost services to help junior faculty build and maintain their own research teams. Methods: At an urban academic medical centre, we implemented three types of consultation services: 1) giving talks on evidence-based best practices for building teams; 2) providing easy-to-use team building resources via email; and 3) offering a year-long consultation service—co-led by students—that taught faculty to build and maintain research teams. Our primary outcome was the number of faculty who used each service. For the yearlong consultation service, we asked faculty participants to complete three online self-assessments to rate their leadership confidence, the team’s performance, and which of the consultation components were most helpful. We used descriptive statistics to evaluate faculty assessment scores at three timepoints by comparing median scores and interquartile ranges. Results: We gave 31 talks on team building to 328 faculty and postdoctoral fellows from 2014 to 2020. Separately, 26 faculty heard about our research team building expertise and requested materials via email. For the consultation service, we helped build or enhance 45 research teams from 2014 to 2020. By the end of the consultation, 100% of the faculty reported they were still maintaining their team. In the initial survey, the majority of participants (95.7%, n = 22) reported having no or few experiences in building teams. Further, when asked to rate their team’s performance at 12-months, faculty highly rated many elements of both teamwork and taskwork, specifically their team’s productivity (6/7 points), morale (6/7 points), and motivation (6/7 points). By the end of the program, faculty participants also highly rated two components of the consultation program: recruitment assistance (7/10 points) and provision of team management tools (7/10 points). Conclusions: For participating faculty, our program provided valued guidance on recruitment assistance and team management tools. The high demand for team-building resources suggests that junior faculty urgently need better training on how to develop and manage their own team.

Child Social Media Influencers and Unhealthy Food Product Placement

A content analysis of outdoor non-alcoholic beverage advertisements in Ghana

Bragg, M. A., Hardoby, T., Pandit, N. G., Raji, Y. R., & Ogedegbe, G. (n.d.).

Publication year

2017

Journal title

BMJ open

Volume

7

Issue

5
Abstract
Abstract
Objectives This was a two-part descriptive study designed to (1) assess the marketing themes and sugar content of beverages promoted in outdoor advertisements (ads) within a portion of Accra, Ghana and (2) quantify the types of ads that appeared along the Accra-Cape Coast Highway. Setting A 4.7 km 2 area of Accra, Ghana and a 151 km region along the highway represented the target areas for collecting photos of outdoor beverage ads. Primary and secondary outcome measures Number and types of beverage ads, sugar content of beverage products featured in ads and marketing themes used in ads. Design Two researchers photographed outdoor beverage ads in a 4.7 km 2 area of Accra and used content analysis to assess marketing themes of ads, including the portrayal of children, local culture, music, sports and health. Researchers also recorded the number and type of ads along a 151 km stretch of the Accra-Cape Coast Highway. Researchers assessed the added sugar content to determine which beverages were sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). Results Seventy-seven photographed ads were analysed. Seventy-three per cent (72.7%) of ads featured SSBs, and Coca-Cola accounted for 59.7% of ads. Sixty-five per cent (64.9%) of all ads featured sodas, while 35.1% advertised energy drinks, bottled or canned juice drinks and coffee-based, milk-based and water-based beverages. Thirteen per cent (13%) of ads featured children and 5.2% were located near schools or playgrounds. Nine per cent (9.1%) of ads contained a reference to health and 7.8% contained a reference to fitness/strength/sport. Along the Accra-Cape Coast Highway, Coca-Cola accounted for 60% of branded ads. Conclusion This study demonstrates the frequency of outdoor SSB ads within a 4.7 km 2 area of Accra, Ghana. Coca-Cola was featured in the majority of ads, and the child-targeted nature of some ads indicates a need to expand the Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative pledge to reduce child-targeted marketing on a global scale.

Comparison of online marketing techniques on food and beverage companies' websites in six countries

Bragg, M. A., Eby, M., Arshonsky, J., Bragg, A., & Ogedegbe, G. (n.d.).

Publication year

2017

Journal title

Globalization and Health

Volume

13

Issue

1
Abstract
Abstract
Food and beverage marketing contributes to poor dietary choices among adults and children. As consumers spend more time on the Internet, food and beverage companies have increased their online marketing efforts. Studies have shown food companies' online promotions use a variety of marketing techniques to promote mostly energy-dense, nutrient-poor products, but no studies have compared the online marketing techniques and nutritional quality of products promoted on food companies' international websites. For this descriptive study, we developed a qualitative codebook to catalogue the marketing themes used on 18 international corporate websites associated with the world's three largest fast food and beverage companies (i.e. Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken). Nutritional quality of foods featured on those websites was evaluated based on quantitative Nutrient Profile Index scores and food category (e.g. fried, fresh). Beverages were sorted into categories based on added sugar content. We report descriptive statistics to compare the marketing techniques and nutritional quality of products featured on the company websites for the food and beverage company websites in two high-income countries (HICs), Germany and the United States, two upper-middle-income countries (UMICs), China and Mexico, and two lower-middle-income countries (LMICs), India and the Philippines. Of the 406 screenshots captured from company websites, 678% depicted a food or beverage product. HICs' websites promoted diet food or beverage products/healthier alternatives (e.g. baked chicken sandwich) significantly more often on their pages (25%), compared to LMICs (145%). Coca-Cola featured diet products significantly more frequently on HIC websites compared to LMIC websites. Charities were featured more often on webpages in LMICs (154%) compared to UMICs (26%) and HICs (23%). This study demonstrates that companies showcase healthier products in wealthier countries and advertise their philanthropic activities in lower income countries, which is concerning given the negative effect of nutrition transition (double burden of overnutrition and undernutrition) on burden of non-communicable diseases and obesity in lower income countries.

Perceived spatial stigma, body mass index and blood pressure: A global positioning system study among low-income housing residents in New York City

Duncan, D. T., Ruff, R. R., Chaix, B., Regan, S. D., Williams, J. H., Ravenell, J., Bragg, M. A., Ogedegbe, G., & Elbel, B. (n.d.).

Publication year

2016

Journal title

Geospatial Health

Volume

11

Issue

2

Page(s)

164-173
Abstract
Abstract
Previous research has highlighted the salience of spatial stigma on the lives of low-income residents, but has been theoretical in nature and/or has predominantly utilised qualitative methods with limited generalisability and ability to draw associations between spatial stigma and measured cardiovascular health outcomes. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate relationships between perceived spatial stigma, body mass index (BMI), and blood pressure among a sample of low-income housing residents in New York City (NYC). Data come from the community-based NYC Low-income Housing, Neighborhoods and Health Study. We completed a crosssectional analysis with survey data, which included the four items on spatial stigma, as well objectively measured BMI and blood pressure data (analytic n=116; 96.7% of the total sample). Global positioning systems (GPS) tracking of the sample was conducted for a week. In multivariable models (controlling for individual-level age, gender, race/ethnicity, education level, employment status, total household income, neighborhood percent non-Hispanic Black and neighborhood median household income) we found that participants who reported living in an area with a bad neighborhood reputation had higher BMI (B=4.2, 95%CI: -0.01, 8.3, P=0.051), as well as higher systolic blood pressure (B=13.2, 95%CI: 3.2, 23.1, P=0.01) and diastolic blood pressure (B=8.5, 95%CI: 2.8, 14.3, P=0.004). In addition, participants who reported living in an area with a bad neighborhood reputation had increased risk of obesity/overweight [relative risk (RR)=1.32, 95%CI: 1.1, 1.4, P=0.02) and hypertension/pre-hypertension (RR=1.66, 95%CI: 1.2, 2.4, P=0.007). However, we found no differences in spatial mobility (based GPS data) among participants who reported living in neighborhoods with and without spatial stigma (P>0.05). Further research is needed to investigate how placebased stigma may be associated with impaired cardiovascular health among individuals in stigmatised neighborhoods to inform effective cardiovascular risk reduction interventions.

Contact

braggm01@nyu.edu 708 Broadway New York, NY, 10003