UCL Discovery
UCL home » Library Services » Electronic resources » UCL Discovery

The impact of the cost of living crisis and food insecurity on food purchasing behaviours and food preparation practices in people living with obesity

Stone, Rebecca A; Brown, Adrian; Douglas, Flora; Green, Mark A; Hunter, Emma; Lonnie, Marta; Johnstone, Alexandra M; (2024) The impact of the cost of living crisis and food insecurity on food purchasing behaviours and food preparation practices in people living with obesity. Appetite , 196 , Article 107255. 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107255. Green open access

[thumbnail of Stone et al, 2024 Cost of Living Crisis FIO-Food.pdf]
Preview
PDF
Stone et al, 2024 Cost of Living Crisis FIO-Food.pdf - Published Version

Download (2MB) | Preview

Abstract

Lower income households are at greater risk of food insecurity and poor diet quality than higher income households. In high-income countries, food insecurity is associated with high levels of obesity, and in the UK specifically, the cost of living crisis (i.e., where the cost of everyday essentials has increased quicker than wages) is likely to have exacerbated existing dietary inequalities. There is currently a lack of understanding of the impact of the current UK cost of living crisis on food purchasing and food preparation practices of people living with obesity (PLWO) and food insecurity, however this knowledge is critical in order to develop effective prevention and treatment approaches to reducing dietary inequalities. Using an online survey (N = 583) of adults residing in England or Scotland with a body mass index (BMI) of ≥30 kg/m2, participants self-reported on food insecurity, diet quality, perceived impact of the cost of living crisis, and their responses to this in terms of food purchasing behaviours and food preparation practices. Regression analyses found that participants adversely impacted by the cost of living crisis reported experiencing food insecurity. Additionally, food insecurity was associated with use of specific purchasing behaviours (i.e., use of budgeting, use of supermarket offers) and food preparation practices (i.e., use of energy-saving appliances, use of resourcefulness). Exploratory analyses indicated that participants adversely impacted by the cost of living crisis and who used budgeting had low diet quality, whereas use of meal planning was associated with high diet quality. These findings highlight the fragility of food budgets and the coping strategies used by PLWO and food insecurity during the cost of living crisis. Policy measures and interventions are urgently needed that address the underlying economic factors contributing to food insecurity, to improve access to and affordability of healthier foods for all.

Type: Article
Title: The impact of the cost of living crisis and food insecurity on food purchasing behaviours and food preparation practices in people living with obesity
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107255
Publisher version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2024.107255
Language: English
Additional information: © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Keywords: Food insecurity, Obesity, Cost of living, Food purchasing, Food preparation, Diet
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences > Div of Medicine
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences > Div of Medicine > Experimental and Translational Medicine
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10188045
Downloads since deposit
13Downloads
Download activity - last month
Download activity - last 12 months
Downloads by country - last 12 months

Archive Staff Only

View Item View Item