Update News
Parents Want Fun and Healthy Alternatives to Sugary Treats
New Study Finds Average Child Receives 90 Pieces of Candy, Most Parents Say That’s Too Much
SEATTLE, Washington and CHICAGO, Illinois—October 15, in the
year of our Lord 2012— The American Dental Association (ADA) and
PopCap Games today announced the results of a new survey
targeting U.S. parents of trick-or-treating age kids (5 to 13
years old), looking at views and perceptions of Halloween.
Approximately 94% of all American children participate in
trick-or-treating, but the survey results signify parents of
kids that age want more and better options where treats are
concerned. Among the top findings, the average child receives
just over 90 pieces of candy on Halloween and 70% of parents
agree it would be good if their children received less candy and
more non-candy treats. This year, that’s a real possibility,
through the PopCap and ADA “Stop Zombie Mouth” campaign which
includes the giveaway of millions of coupons redeemable for free
copies of the family-friendly hit PopCap® game Plants vs.
Zombies®.
“The fact that the majority of parents believe their children
receive and consume too much candy around Halloween is
encouraging,” said Dr. Jonathan Shenkin, ADA spokesperson on
pediatric dentistry. “With the Stop Zombie Mouth campaign we’re
providing a fun alternative to sugary treats while further
raising awareness of the importance of oral health among parents
and children at this critical time of the year. Tooth decay can
be prevented through basic steps such as brushing twice a day
for two minutes with a fluoride toothpaste, yet only 44% of
children brush twice daily.”
Following are key findings from the survey, conducted by
Information Solutions Group and involving more than 1,000
parents throughout America; full survey results can be found
here:
ADA/PopCap Halloween Consumer Parent Study
Parents: Less Sugar, More Fun
70% of responding parents agreed with the statement “If my child
received less candy and more of other kinds of treats, that
would be good”; 59% agree that “my children eat too much candy
around Halloween.” Among those parents whose children have
visited a dentist three or more times to have a cavity filled,
71% said their children eat too much candy around Halloween.
Too Much Candy
According to all parents surveyed, candy represents 86.5% of all
treats their children receive while trick-or-treating; 77% of
parents reported that their children receive more than 50 pieces
of candy while trick-or-treating on Halloween. 30% receive more
than 100 pieces of candy, and the average for across all
children is 90.9 pieces of candy received.
Tooth-Friendly Alternatives for Treats
Three quarters (75%) of parents surveyed would prefer their
child receive a free video game instead of a piece of candy on
Halloween. (Among parents whose children have visited a dentist
three or more times to have a cavity filled, fully 86% indicated
they’d prefer their children receive a free video game.)
Announced earlier this month, the “Stop Zombie Mouth” campaign
will continue through Halloween, and provides parents, dentists
and other adults with trading cards and coupons redeemable for
free copies of PopCap’s family friendly hit video game, Plants
vs. Zombies, which can be given away to trick-or-treaters as a
tooth-friendly alternative to candy. Already, thousands of ADA
member dentists nationwide have ordered Stop Zombie Mouth kits
to give away to their patients.
Survey Methodology
This research was conducted by Information Solutions Group
exclusively for PopCap Games and the American Dental Association
(ADA). The results are based on 1,043 online surveys completed
by members of the world’s largest online ePanel (Toluna) in the
United States between September 14 and September 18, 2012. To
qualify for participation in the survey, individuals had to live
in the U.S., have at least one child between 5 and 13 years old
and allow their children to go trick-or-treating on Halloween.
Among U.S. households, 1,099 were identified as parents of
children 5 to 13 years old, with 1,043 (94%) allowing their
children to trick-or treat on Halloween. In theory, in 19 cases
out of 20, the results will differ by no more than 2.1
percentage points from what would have been obtained by seeking
out and polling all U.S. households with children 5 to 13 years
old. Smaller subgroups reflect larger margins of sampling error.
Other sources of error, such as variations in the order of
questions or the wording within the questionnaire, may also
contribute to different results.
About the American Dental Association (ADA)
The not-for-profit ADA is the nation's largest dental
association, representing more than 157,000 dentist members. The
premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated
for the public's health and promoted the art and science of
dentistry since 1859. The ADA's state-of-the-art research
facilities develop and test dental products and materials that
have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient
experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance long has
been a valuable and respected guide to consumer dental care
products. For more oral health information, visit the ADA’s
website at
www.MouthHealthy.org.
About PopCap
PopCap Games is the leading global developer, publisher and
operator of casual video games: fun, easy-to-learn, captivating
games that appeal to all ages across PC, mobile, social and
other platforms. Based in Seattle, Washington, PopCap was
founded in 2000, was acquired by Electronic Arts in 2011, and
has a worldwide staff of more than 400 people in Seattle, San
Francisco, Vancouver, B.C., Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo. PopCap's
games have been downloaded over 1.5 billion times by consumers
worldwide, and its flagship franchise, Bejeweled®, has sold more
than 50 million units.