Sustainable diets in the UK—developing a systematic framework to assess the environmental Impact, cost and nutritional quality of household food purchases

Sustainable diets should not only respect the environment but also be healthy and affordable. However, there has been little work to assess whether real diets can encompass all three aspects. The aim of this study was to develop a framework to quantify actual diet records for health, affordability and environmental sustainability and apply this to UK food purchase survey data. We applied a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach to detailed food composition data where purchased food items were disaggregated into their components with traceable environmental impact data. This novel approach is an improvement to earlier studies in which sustainability assessments were based on a limited number of “food groups”, with a potentially high variation of actual food items within each group. Living Costs and Food Survey data for 2012, 2013 and 2014 were mapped into published figures for greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE, taking into account processing, transport and cooking) and land use, a diet quality index (DQI) based on dietary guidelines and food cost, all standardised per household member. Households were classified as having a ‘more sustainable’ diet based on GHGE, cost and land use being less than the median and DQI being higher than the median. Only 16.6% of households could be described as more sustainable; this rose to 22% for those in the lowest income quintile. Increasing the DQI criteria to >80% resulted in only 100 households being selected, representing 0.8% of the sample. The framework enabled identification of more sustainable households, providing evidence of how we can move toward better diets in terms of the environment, health, and costs

Social (in) security : exploring welfare reform, poverty and health in North East England

PhD ThesisThis thesis explores the impacts of ‘welfare reform’ on working-age people living in a disadvantaged part of Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England, understanding how these impacts relate to health and wellbeing. A qualitative longitudinal methodology was used, supplemented by participant-driven photo elicitation. Nineteen people took part in up to three interviews between July 2016 and April 2018. This thesis argues that the concept of ‘insecurity’ is central to understanding how ‘welfare reform’ is experienced at the micro level. Standing in contrast to the rhetoric of benefits providing a ‘safety net’, a central plank of ‘welfare reform’ policies has instead been to erode the security of benefits under the guise of ending supposed benefit dependency and moving people back towards the labour market. This research demonstrates that such positive outcomes are unlikely to arise, for many reasons, and that these policies have been implemented at the detriment of benefit recipients’ health and wellbeing. Participants’ experiences were characterised by a pervasive sense of insecurity that flowed not only from the poverty that benefits and low-paid work engendered, but also from the threat of sanction for unemployment benefits, the spectre of reassessments for sickness benefits, and pressure to move home because of the ‘Bedroom Tax’. Participants attempted to ‘manage’ their security through careful handling of their interactions with the state, prudent budget control and borrowing, though none of these strategies were straightforward or unproblematic. Those able to work expressed desires to do so, yet low skill levels, structural barriers, ineffective support from the Jobcentre and minimal financial gains from moving into work often meant that benefits offered greater security in the short-term. Cuts to benefit levels, as a result of the four-year freeze (2016-2020) in benefit uprating, the ‘Bedroom Tax’ and the Benefit Cap, worsened financial security leading to debt, food insecurity, and social exclusion. Cumulatively, the insecurity that participants experienced was embodied through stress, worry and deteriorating mental health

Prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of cooking skills in UK adults: cross-sectional analysis of data from the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey

Background Poor cooking skills may be a barrier to healthy eating and a contributor to overweight and obesity. Little population-representative data on adult cooking skills has been published. We explored prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of cooking skills among adult respondents to wave 1 of the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (2008–9).  Methods Socio-demographic variables of interest were sex, age group, occupational socio-economic group and whether or not respondents had the main responsibility for food in their households. Cooking skills were assessed as self-reported confidence in using eight cooking techniques, confidence in cooking ten foods, and ability to prepare four types of dish (convenience foods, a complete meal from ready-made ingredients, a main meal from basic ingredients, and cake or biscuits from basic ingredients). Frequency of preparation of main meals was also reported.  Results Of 509 respondents, almost two-thirds reported cooking a main meal at least five times per week. Around 90% reported being able to cook convenience foods, a complete meal from ready-made ingredient, and a main dish from basic ingredients without help. Socio-demographic differences in all markers of cooking skills were scattered and inconsistent. Where these were found, women and main food providers were most likely to report confidence with foods, techniques or dishes, and respondents in the youngest age (19–34 years) and lowest socio-economic group least likely.  Conclusions This is the only exploration of the prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of adult cooking skills using recent and population-representative UK data and adds to the international literature on cooking skills in developed countries. Reported confidence with using most cooking techniques and preparing most foods was high. There were few socio-demographic differences in reported cooking skills. Adult cooking skills interventions are unlikely to have a large population impact, but may have important individual effects if clearly targeted at: men, younger adults, and those in the least affluent social groups

Re-visiting Meltsner: Policy Advice Systems and the Multi-Dimensional Nature of Professional Policy Analysis

10.2139/ssrn.15462511-2

The Change4life convenience store programme to increase retail access to fresh fruit and vegetables : a mixed methods process evaluation

Background: Consumption of fruit and vegetables is important for health, but is often lower than recommended and tends to be socio-economically patterned with lower consumption in more deprived groups. In 2008, the English Department of Health introduced the Change4Life convenience store programme. This aimed to increase retail access to fresh fruit and vegetables in deprived, urban areas by providing existing convenience stores with a range of support and branded point-of-sale materials and equipment. Methods: We undertook a mixed-methods study of the Change4Life convenience store programme in the North East of England around two years after initial implementation. Store mapping (n = 87; 100% stores) and systematic in-store observations (n = 74; 85% stores) provided information on intervention fidelity; the variety, purchase price and quality of fresh fruit and vegetables on sale; and purchase price compared to a major supermarket. Ten qualitative interviews with a purposive sample of retailers and other professionals explored experiences of the intervention and provided further insight on quantitative results. Results: Intervention stores were primarily located in socio-economically disadvantaged areas. Fidelity, in terms of presence of branded materials and equipment, was low and much was not being used as intended. Fresh fruit and vegetables on sale were of high quality and had a purchase price around 10% more than comparable products at a major supermarket. Interviewees were supportive of the health improvement aim of the intervention. Retailers were appreciative of part-funding for chill cabinets and free point-of-sale materials. The intervention suffered from: poor initial and on-going communication between the intervention delivery team and retailers; poor availability of replacement point-of-sale materials; and failure to cement intended links with health workers and community organisations. Conclusions: Overall, intervention fidelity was low and the intervention is unlikely to have had a substantial or long-term effect on customers’ consumption of fruit and vegetables

Fidelity of intervention: location.

<p>Fidelity of intervention: location.</p

Variety, quality and purchase price of fresh fruit & vegetables.

1<p>Core categories  =  potatoes, onions, carrots, bananas, apples and tomatoes.</p>2<p>restricted to items with comparable line at <a href="http://www.tesco.com" target="_blank">www.tesco.com</a>.</p>3<p>number of stores  = 50, in 9 stores prices were available for fewer than three lines and these were excluded from this analysis.</p>4<p>number of stores = 65.</p

Fidelity of intervention: equipment presence & appropriate use.

1<p>This refers to chill-cabinet branding only – demonstration stores received a new chill cabinet with Change4Life branding in place. Roll-out stores received stick-on branding materials for any existing chill cabinets.</p