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

Can independent takeaways change to offer healthier food? : an exploration of the challenges for independent takeaways and public health

PhD ThesisBackground Meals from independent takeaways in the UK are generally characterised by large portion sizes and contain high levels of energy and salt. Regular consumption is associated with weight-gain, obesity and diet-related diseases. It has been suggested that low-agency interventions that reduce the obesogenic nature of our food environments have the potential to equitably improve dietary intake at population level. The research described in my thesis sought to: determine the frequency and socio-demographic correlates of eating takeaway meals and the association between habitual consumption of such meals and daily energy intake; identify the operational challenges of intervention delivery in takeaway contexts; and evaluate interventions targeted at takeaways for feasibility, acceptability, and, where possible, potential impact. Methods A multi-method approach was used. The UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) was analysed to identify frequency and socio-demographic correlates of those eating takeaways and the relationship between habitual consumption and mean daily energy intake. Subsequent studies included: interviews with practitioners with experience of delivering interventions in takeaways; testing of a salt reduction intervention that used a reducedholed salt shaker; and mixed-method evaluation of the feasibility and acceptability of two interventions to improve the availability of healthier takeaway meals, one multi-criteria local authority-led and one promoting smaller portion meals led by an industry supplier. Results Analyses of NDNS data showed that 20% of adults ate takeaways at least once per week. The proportion of all participants eating takeaway meals regularly was highest in young adults (19–29 years). For children, more boys than girls were regular consumers, with consumption most prevalent in children from less-affluent households. Children and adults who ate takeaways regularly consumed more per-day than those who ate rarely. In children, there was an interaction with socio-economic position, where greater frequency of consumption of takeaway meals was associated with higher mean daily energy intake in those from lessaffluent households. ii The perceived barriers to implementation of interventions to improve food offered by takeaways were limited funding and difficulties engaging with traders. The perceived facilitators of increasing the potential effectiveness of interventions were delivering intensive, interactive and tailored interventions with clear and specific information, and providing setting specific incentives, whilst accounting for practical, primarily financial, constraints of running a takeaway. A reduced-holed shaker (5-holed) delivered on average 33.7% of the salt of a traditional shaker (17-holed) in controlled conditions. However, in takeaways there was no difference in absolute sodium content of meals, despite the relative sodium content being significantly lower in meals served using the reduced-holed shaker. The recruitment rate for the local authority-led training intervention was low. Among those attending, the changes subsequently made were those that required minimal effort or cost to the business. Least popular changes included the use of products more difficult to source from suppliers or perceived to be unpopular with customers. The supplier-led intervention achieved a higher recruitment rate, with those takeaways followed-up reporting an increased proportion of smaller portion meals sold. Discussion UK independent takeaways are ubiquitous and broadly provide a nutritionally poor offering. As a nation, we are high consumers of takeaway food and for many they constitute a component of their habitual diet. Interventions that require the voluntary engagement of traders are unlikely to yield significant improvements in the nutritional quality of the food. Further work should explore upstream structural policy-led interventions that require individuals to use a low-level of agency to benefit, as these interventions are established to have a greater impact and are more likely to reduce existing health inequalities

Relationship between mean daily energy intake and frequency of consumption of out-of-home meals in the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey.

BACKGROUND: Out-of-home meals have been characterised as delivering excessively large portions that can lead to high energy intake. Regular consumption is linked to weight gain and diet related diseases. Consumption of out-of-home meals is associated with socio-demographic and anthropometric factors, but the relationship between habitual consumption of such meals and mean daily energy intake has not been studied in both adults and children in the UK. METHODS: We analysed adult and child data from waves 1-4 of the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey using generalized linear modelling. We investigated whether individuals who report a higher habitual consumption of meals out in a restaurant or café, or takeaway meals at home had a higher mean daily energy intake, as estimated by a four-day food diary, whilst adjusting for key socio-demographic and anthropometric variables. RESULTS: Adults who ate meals out at least weekly had a higher mean daily energy intake consuming 75-104 kcal more per day than those who ate these meals rarely. The equivalent figures for takeaway meals at home were 63-87 kcal. There was no association between energy intake and frequency of consumption of meals out in children. Children who ate takeaway meals at home at least weekly consumed 55-168 kcal more per day than those who ate these meals rarely. Additionally, in children, there was an interaction with socio-economic position, where greater frequency of consumption of takeaway meals was associated with higher mean daily energy intake in those from less affluent households than those from more affluent households. CONCLUSIONS: Higher habitual consumption of out-of-home meals is associated with greater mean daily energy intake in the UK. More frequent takeaway meal consumption in adults and children is associated with greater daily energy intake and this effect is greater in children from less affluent households. Interventions seeking to reduce energy content through reformulation or reduction of portion sizes in restaurants, cafés and takeaways could potentially lead to reductions in mean daily energy intake, and may reduce inequalities in health in children

La résorption des excédents d'épandage : principes économiques d'un plan d'action pour la Bretagne

Diffusion du document : ENSAR Département ERG 65 rue de St Brieuc CS 84215 35042 Rennes cedex (FRA)Le plan de résorption des excédents azotés en Bretagne devrait s'inscrire dans un projet d'insertion harmonieuse de l'agriculture dans l'économie et la société bretonne. Dans une perspective de long terme, il n'y a pas de justification économique à considérer le maintien de la taille du secteur et des volumes de production comme des objectifs en soi. Un objectif raisonnable au plan économique pour "un projet agricole pour la Bretagne" serait de viser "un niveau d'activité économiquement (emplois bien rémunérés) et en harmonie avec les ressources de l'espace rural et avec la société"

Frequency and socio-demographic correlates of eating meals out and take-away meals at home: cross-sectional analysis of the UK national diet and nutrition survey, waves 1-4 (2008-12)

Background: Food prepared out-of-home tends to be less healthful than food prepared at home, with a positive association between frequency of consumption and both fat intake and body fatness. There is little current data on who eats out-of-home food. We explored frequency and socio-demographic correlates of eating meals out and take-away meals at home, using data from a large, UK, population representative study. Methods: Data were from waves 1–4 of the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (2008–12). Socio-demographic variables of interest were gender, age group, and socio-economic position. Self-reported frequency of consuming meals out and take-away meals at home was categorised as: less than once per week and once per week or more. Analyses were performed separately for adults (aged 18 years or older) and children. Results: Data from 2001 adults and 1963 children were included. More than one quarter (27.1%) of adults and one fifth (19.0%) of children ate meals out once per week or more. One fifth of adults (21.1%) and children (21.0%) ate take-away meals at home once per week or more. There were no gender differences in consumption of meals out, but more boys than girls ate take-away meals at home at least weekly. The proportion of participants eating both meals out and take-away meals at home at least weekly peaked in young adults aged 19–29 years. Adults living in more affluent households were more likely to eat meals out at least once per week, but children living in less affluent households were more likely to eat take-away meals at home at least once per week. There was no relationship between socio-economic position and consumption of take-away meals at home in adults. Conclusions: One-fifth to one-quarter of individuals eat meals prepared out-of-home weekly. Interventions seeking to improve dietary intake by reducing consumption of out-of-home food may be more effective if tailored to and targeted at adults aged less than 30 years. It may also be important to develop interventions to help children and adolescents avoid becoming frequent consumers of out-of-home food

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

Effectiveness of personal letters to healthcare professionals in changing professional behaviours : a systematic review protocol

Background: Letters are regularly sent by healthcare organisations to healthcare professionals to encourage them to take action, change practice or implement guidance. However, whether letters are an effective tool in delivering a change in healthcare professional behaviour is currently uncertain. In addition, there are currently no evidence-based guidelines to support health providers and authorities with advice on how to formulate the communication, what information and behaviour change techniques to include in order to optimise the potential effect on the behaviour of the receivers. To address this research gap, we seek to inform such guidance through this systematic review, which aims to provide comprehensive evidence of the effectiveness of personal letters to healthcare professionals in changing their professional behaviours. Methods/design: A comprehensive literature search of published and unpublished studies (the grey literature) in electronic databases will be conducted to identify randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that meet our inclusion criteria. We will include RCTs evaluating the effectiveness of personal letters to healthcare professionals in changing professional behaviours. The primary outcome will be behavioural change. The search will be conducted in five electronic databases (from their inception onwards): MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, the Cochrane Library and CINAHL. We will also conduct supplementary searches in Google Scholar, hand search relevant journals, and conduct backward and forward citation searching for included studies and relevant reviews. A systematic approach to searching, screening, reviewing and data extraction will be applied in accordance with the process recommended by the Cochrane Collaboration. Two researchers will examine titles, abstracts, full-texts for eligibility independently. Risk of bias will be assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 (RoB 2) tool for randomised controlled trials. Disagreements will be resolved by a consensus procedure. Discussion: Health policy makers across government are expected to benefit from being able to increase compliance in clinical settings by applying theories of behaviour to design of policy communications. The synthesised findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publication. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD4202016767

La maîtrise des invasions biologiques : un modèle bio-économigue appliqué à la jussie

Diffusion du document : INRA Station d'Economie et Sociologie rurales 65 rue de Saint-Brieuc 35042 Rennes Cedex (FRA)La prolifération d'espèces invasives non indigènes soulève des problèmes écologiques et économiques très importants, dans la plupart des continents et pays du monde. Il peut s'agir d'espèces animales ou végétales,terrestres ou aquatiques. Les invasions biologiques sont à l'origine de la dégradation des écosystèmes et des fluxde services écologiques : modification de la biodiversité et des habitats en liaison avec la compétition entreespèces, altération de la qualité de l'eau et modification du régime des eaux, dans le cas d'espèces aquatiques,etc.. A ces altérations des écosystèmes correspondent des dommages économiques imposés aux activitéshumaines ayant pour support les actifs naturels subissant ces perturbations

The critical factors in producing high quality and policy-relevant research: insights from international behavioural science units

Background: There has been a rapid increase in the number of, and demand for, organisations offering behavioural science advice to government over the last ten years. Yet we know little of the state of science and the experiences of these evidence providers. / Aims and objectives: To identify current practice in this emerging field and the factors that impact on the production of high-quality and policy-relevant research. / Methods: A qualitative study using one-to-one interviews with representatives from a purposeful sample of 15 units in the vanguard of international behavioural science research in policy. The data were analysed thematically. / Findings: Relationships with policymakers were important in the inception of units, research conduct, implementation and dissemination of findings. Knowledge exchange facilitated a shared understanding of policy issues/context, and of behavioural science. Sufficient funding was crucial to maintain critical capacity in the units’ workforces, build a research portfolio beneficial to policymakers and the units, and to ensure full and transparent dissemination. / Discussion and conclusion: Findings highlight the positive impact of strong evidence-provider/user relationships and the importance of governments’ commitment to co-produced research programmes to address policy problems and transparency in the dissemination of methods and findings. From the findings we have created a framework, ‘STEPS’ (Sharing, Transparency, Engagement, Partnership, Strong relationships), of five recommendations for units working with policymakers. These findings will be of value to all researchers conducting research on behalf of government