Who uses foodbanks and why? Exploring the impact of financial strain and adverse life events on food insecurity

Prayogo, Edwina; Chater, Angel M.; Chapman, Sarah; Barker, Mary; Rahmawati, Nurul Dina; Waterfall, T.; Grimble, G.

doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdx133

Cited by 37 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 23 publications

(25 reference statements)

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“…A recent study of people using food banks in inner London reported similar socio‐demographic and financial characteristics (Prayogo et al . ).…”

Section: Who Is Receiving Help From Food Banks In the Uk?mentioning

confidence: 97%

“…About 15% of respondents were not born in the UK, generally matching the population of the UK, and <5% were asylum seekers. A recent study of people using food banks in inner London reported similar socio-demographic and financial characteristics (Prayogo et al 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Since food banks are now established frontline services for vulnerable people in the UK, there is also need for scrutiny. As highlighted, evidence suggests that nutritional inadequacies are probable in this population and that many people go without sufficient food on a chronic basis Prayogo et al 2017). Based on their income and education characteristics, people receiving help from food banks are at the lowest end of the socio-economic gradient.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Rising food bank use in the UK: Sign of a new public health emergency?

Loopstra

2018

Nutrition Bulletin

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The provision of food aid through food banks has recently expanded in the UK. By providing free bags of food to people experiencing financial shortfalls, food banks aim to prevent individuals and families from going without food. A growing body of research has sought to understand this type of provisioning, from what it indicates about social security in the UK to what it indicates about the problem of food insecurity. Here, recent research on the characteristics of people receiving help from food banks is reviewed, highlighting that they serve the most financially vulnerable groups in the UK: people with disabilities, people receiving out‐of‐work benefits and lone parents. The severity and chronicity of food insecurity observed in this population is a public health concern, as is evidence of high rates of poor mental health. Food banks have largely gone unevaluated for how well they do at meeting the needs of people using them, but focusing on building better food banks may also serve to further entrench voluntary and charitable food assistance as part of the social safety net in the UK. Given evidence that policy interventions such as pensions and income transfers reduce food insecurity, the importance of restoring strong social safety nets for reducing the need for food banks and food insecurity is discussed.

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“…A recent study of people using food banks in inner London reported similar socio‐demographic and financial characteristics (Prayogo et al . ).…”

Section: Who Is Receiving Help From Food Banks In the Uk?mentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Rising food bank use in the UK: Sign of a new public health emergency?

Loopstra

2018

Nutrition Bulletin

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“…We observed that FI was more likely in participants who reported difficulty making ends meet. Unemployment and delayed social benefit payments are frequently cited reasons for using food banks (26) . However, FI is not just a problem among unemployed individuals, as 76 % of the food insecure adults in our sample reported being employed.…”

Section: Interpretation Of Findings and Implications For Policymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, food bank usage is likely to underestimate the prevalence of FI (25) . Further, food bank users have been found to experience more financial strain and adverse life events, compared to other disadvantaged groups in which FI is prevalent (26) , meaning that users may not be representative of all those experiencing FI.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Socio-demographic characteristics, diet and health among food insecure UK adults: cross-sectional analysis of the International Food Policy Study

Yau

White

Hammond

et al. 2020

Public Health Nutr.

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Objective: To estimate food insecurity (FI) prevalence among UK adults and investigate associations with socio-demographic characteristics, diet and health. Design: Weighted cross-sectional survey data. FI was measured using the USDA Adult Food Security Survey Module. Data were analysed using adjusted logistic regression models. Setting: United Kingdom. Participants: 2551 participants (aged 18–64 years); sub-sample (n 1949) used to investigate association between FI and overweight. Results: FI prevalence was 24·3 %. Higher odds of FI were observed among participants who reported that making ends meet was difficult v. easy (OR 19·76, 95 % CI 13·78, 28·34), were full-time students v. non-students (OR 3·23, 95 % CI 2·01, 5·18), had low v. high education (OR 2·30, 95 % CI 1·66, 3·17), were male v. female (OR 1·36, 95 % CI 1·01, 1·83) and reported their ethnicity as mixed (OR 2·32, 95 % CI 1·02, 5·27) and white other (OR 2·04, 95 % CI 1·04, 3·99) v. white British. Odds of FI were higher in participants living with children v. alone, especially in single-parent households (OR 2·10, 95 % CI 1·19, 3·70). Odds of FI decreased per year of increase in age (OR 0·95, 95 % CI 0·94, 0·96) and were lower in participants not looking for work v. full-time employed (OR 0·60, 95 % CI 0·42, 0·87). Food insecure v. food secure adults had lower odds of consuming fruits (OR 0·59, 95 % CI 0·47, 0·74) and vegetables (OR 0·68, 95 % CI 0·54, 0·86) above the median frequency, and higher odds for fruit juice (OR 1·39, 95 % CI 1·10, 1·75). Food insecure v. food secure adults had higher odds of reporting unhealthy diets (OR 1·65, 95 % CI 1·31, 2·10), poor general health, (OR 1·90, 95 % CI 1·50, 2·41), poor mental health (OR 2·10, 95 % CI 1·64, 2·69), high stress (OR 3·15, 95 % CI 2·42, 4·11) and overweight (OR 1·32, 95 % CI 1·00, 1·75). Conclusions: FI prevalence was high and varied by socio-demographic characteristics. FI was associated with poorer diet and health.

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Inconsistent social rhythms are associated with abdominal adiposity after involuntary job loss: An observational study

Haynes

Apolinar

Mayer

et al. 2021

Obesity Science & Practice

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Objective: Unemployment is an established risk factor for obesity. However, few studies have examined obesity-related health behavior after involuntary job loss specifically. Job loss confers a disruption in daily time structure that could lead to negative metabolic and psychological outcomes through chronobiological mechanisms. This study examines whether individuals with unstable social rhythms after involuntary job loss present with higher abdominal adiposity than individuals with more consistent social rhythms and whether this relationship varies as a function of depressive symptoms. Methods: Cross-sectional baseline data (n ¼ 191) from the ongoing Assessing Daily Activity Patterns in occupational Transitions (ADAPT) study were analyzed using linear regression techniques. Participants completed the Social Rhythm Metric-17 (SRM) daily over 2 weeks. They also completed the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) and participated in standardized waist circumference measurements (cm).Results: A significant interaction emerged between SRM and BDI-II demonstrating that less consistent social rhythms were associated with larger waist circumference at lower levels of depressive symptoms. Additional exploratory analyses demonstrated a positive association between the number of daily activities performed alone and waist circumference when controlling for symptoms of depression. Conclusion:These findings are the first to demonstrate a relationship between social rhythm stability and abdominal adiposity in adults who have recently, involuntarily lost their jobs. Results highlight the moderating role of depressive symptoms on daily routine in studies of metabolic health. Future prospective analysis is necessary to examine causal pathways.

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Who uses foodbanks and why? Exploring the impact of financial strain and adverse life events on food insecurity

Abstract: Benefit-related problems appear to be a key reason for foodbank referral. By comparison with other disadvantaged groups, foodbank users experienced more financial strain, adverse life events, both increased the severity of food insecurity.

Cited by 37 publications

References 23 publications

Rising food bank use in the UK: Sign of a new public health emergency?

Rising food bank use in the UK: Sign of a new public health emergency?

Socio-demographic characteristics, diet and health among food insecure UK adults: cross-sectional analysis of the International Food Policy Study

Inconsistent social rhythms are associated with abdominal adiposity after involuntary job loss: An observational study

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