Access to healthy foods: part I. Barriers to accessing healthy foods: differentials by gender, social class, income and mode of transport

Abstract

This is the unspecified version of the paper.This version of the publication may differ from the final published version. Permanent repository link 2 ABSTRACTThis article examines the issues of access to food and the influences people face when shopping for a healthy food basket. It uses data from the Health Education Authority's 1993Health and Lifestyle Survey to examine the barriers people face in accessing a healthy diet.The main findings are that access to food is primarily determined by income, and this is in turn closely related to physical resources available to access healthy food. There is an associated class bias over access to sources of healthy food. The poor have less access to a car, find it harder to get to out of town shopping centres and thus less able to carry and transport food in bulk. The majority of people shop in supermarkets as they report that local shops do not provide the services people demand and that food choice and quality are limited.In tackling food poverty and promoting healthy eating health promotion practice needs to address these structural issues as opposed to relying on psycho-social models of education based on the provision of information and choice.

Socio-economic status, place of residence and dietary habits among the elderly: the Mediterranean islands study

“…However, there is evidence supporting that in Southern European countries, high education status people tend to consume more fresh fruit and vegetables compared with the low educated (40) . In addition, there is a great deal of literature suggesting that, traditionally, lower socio-economic levels are characterised by unhealthier dietary habits compared with upper socio-economic levels (23,24,41,42) . In addition, several studies in the Mediterranean area have shown that people with low SES had lower adherence to the Mediterranean diet (23)(24)(25)(26) , as in the present study.…”

Disparities in vegetable and fruit consumption: European cases from the north to the south

“…For example, in French working class culture food is important for working capacity and the strength of the body 15 . Also other studies have shown that those on low incomes are more concerned with foods that`fill you up' and provide energy than those that are healthy 63 . Fruits and vegetables are not that filling.…”

Le gradient social de l’obésité se creuse en France – Sait-on pourquoi ?

“…Plusieurs études suggè-rent néanmoins que les personnes en situation de précarité possèdent de bonnes aptitudes culinaires [63]. En France [42,64], comme au Royaume-Uni [65] et aux USA [66], ce sont en fait les classes moyennes et aisées qui cuisinent le moins et font le plus appel aux aliments prêts à consommer ou à emporter. Des barrières géographiques entraînent une difficulté d'accès aux commerces proposant une offre alimentaire de qualité à un prix correct.…”

“…Des barrières géographiques entraînent une difficulté d'accès aux commerces proposant une offre alimentaire de qualité à un prix correct. Pour des raisons de stratégie budgétaire et à cause de problèmes de transport, les familles pauvres diversifient leurs lieux d'achats, et fré-quentent plus souvent que les autres les petits commerçants [39,65]. Plusieurs études suggè-rent ainsi que l'accès à une nourriture de bonne qualité est plus difficile dans les quartiers défa-vorisés, parfois qualifiés de « déserts alimentaires » [67].…”