Informed Consent Letter

Addressed to: Pregnant women and mothers of children under 24 months of age.

Project Title: Monitoring of advertising and promotion of breast milk substitutes on the most widely used social networks in Mexico.

Introduction/Objective: The Universidad Iberoamericana (IBERO) and the National Institute of Public Health (INSP) invite you to participate in the project: Monitoring of advertising and promotion of breast milk substitutes on the internet and social networks in Mexico. A questionnaire has been designed to identify the marketing strategies targeting children under 24 months of age on the internet and social networks, as well as to document the advertising, information, and contact strategies used by breast milk substitute producers aimed at the Mexican population. The questionnaire is designed for pregnant women, mothers, or primary caregivers of children under 24 months of age. It includes questions regarding the types of promotions seen in the last six months on the internet and social media. Therefore, we kindly ask you to answer with the most current and realistic information possible. Additionally, we request your assistance in documenting any inappropriate marketing practices by providing screenshots or photographs that showcase these practices.

Risks and Benefits: Your participation in this project does not imply any risk to you. Although there is always a risk of loss of confidentiality, all necessary measures will be taken to minimize this risk, as detailed below. It is important to mention that you will not receive any payment for participating in this study, nor will it incur any cost to you.

You will not receive any direct benefits from your participation in the project. However, by participating, you will be helping IBERO and INSP to generate new knowledge about inappropriate marketing practices of breast milk substitutes.

Confidentiality: All the information you provide throughout this study will be strictly confidential, meaning only the project researchers will have access to it, and it will not be used for any other purpose. You will be identified by a code, ensuring that your name remains separate from the provided information. The results of this study will be published for scientific purposes.

Privacy Notice: Your personal data will be treated according to the purposes previously described and in compliance with the data protection laws currently in effect in Mexico. You may exercise your rights to access, rectify, cancel, or oppose (ARCO rights) in accordance with these laws. In any of these cases, please contact the responsible project investigator at the following email address: sonia.hernandez@ibero.mx.

Questions: If you have any questions or comments regarding the study, you may contact Dr. Sonia Hernández Cordero, researcher at the IBERO Department of Health, Mexico City, by phone at +52 55 5950 4000 Ext. 4649, Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., or via email at sonia.hernandez@ibero.mx. For any complaints or concerns regarding the project, you may also contact the president of the IBERO Ethics Committee, Dr. Mariana Dobernig Gago.

If you agree to participate in this study, either in whole or in part, and agree to allow your information to be used as described above, please indicate your consent to participate in this study.