eprintid: 10203393
rev_number: 7
eprint_status: archive
userid: 699
dir: disk0/10/20/33/93
datestamp: 2025-01-15 13:26:05
lastmod: 2025-01-15 13:26:05
status_changed: 2025-01-15 13:26:05
type: article
metadata_visibility: show
sword_depositor: 699
creators_name: Stone, Rebecca A
creators_name: Christiansen, Paul
creators_name: Johnstone, Alexandra M
creators_name: Brown, Adrian
creators_name: Douglas, Flora
creators_name: Hardman, Charlotte A
title: Understanding the barriers to purchasing healthier, more environmentally sustainable food for people living with obesity and varying experiences of food insecurity in the UK
ispublished: inpress
divisions: UCL
divisions: B02
divisions: C10
keywords: Obesity,
Food insecurity,
Diet quality,
Barriers,
Grocery stores
note: © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
abstract: In westernised countries, food insecurity (FI) is robustly associated with low diet quality, and obesity. Grocery
stores are one promising arena for interventions to facilitate purchasing of healthier, more environmentally
sustainable food. However, we currently lack understanding of the barriers experienced by people living with
obesity (PLWO) and FI when shopping for such food. Using an online survey (N = 583), adults residing in En
gland or Scotland with a body mass index of ≥ 30 kg/m2 self-reported on FI, diet quality, and their experiences of
shopping in a grocery store for healthy and environmentally sustainable food. Participants also ranked different
grocery store interventions on their helpfulness in supporting healthier, more environmentally sustainable
purchasing. Structural equation modelling revealed that greater experiences of FI were directly associated with
greater experiences of barriers from the food environment (e.g., price), food preparation practices, lower healthy
diet knowledge and physical ill-health. Moreover, greater experiences of FI were indirectly associated with lower
diet quality via mental ill-health and greater experiences of anticipated stigma associated with being food
insecure. Grocery store interventions based on price/ incentivisation were ranked most helpful in supporting
healthier, more environmentally sustainable purchasing. These findings highlight the challenges faced by PLWO
and with greater experiences of FI when shopping for healthy and environmentally sustainable food. Findings
also underscore the need for policy development relating to price and affordability at a population-level, and for
policymakers and healthcare professionals to consider how to address mental health and how to minimise
anticipated stigma experienced by this vulnerable group
date: 2025-02
date_type: published
publisher: Elsevier BV
official_url: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2025.102798
oa_status: green
full_text_type: pub
language: eng
primo: open
primo_central: open_green
verified: verified_manual
elements_id: 2352866
doi: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2025.102798
lyricists_name: Brown, Adrian
lyricists_id: ATURN01
actors_name: Brown, Adrian
actors_id: ATURN01
actors_role: owner
full_text_status: public
publication: Food Policy
volume: 131
article_number: 102798
issn: 0306-9192
citation:        Stone, Rebecca A;    Christiansen, Paul;    Johnstone, Alexandra M;    Brown, Adrian;    Douglas, Flora;    Hardman, Charlotte A;      (2025)    Understanding the barriers to purchasing healthier, more environmentally sustainable food for people living with obesity and varying experiences of food insecurity in the UK.                   Food Policy , 131     , Article 102798.  10.1016/j.foodpol.2025.102798 <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2025.102798>.    (In press).    Green open access   
 
document_url: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10203393/1/Stone%20et%20al.%202025%20FIO%20Food.pdf