Food in low‐income families

Abstract

This descriptive study used both quantitative and qualitative research methods to examine the food and nutrient intake, food purchasing patterns and budgeting strategies of 29 sole‐parent low‐income families with dependent children living in Corio Shire, Victoria, in 1989–90. Expenditure on food and nonalcoholic beverages when compared with the average for all Australian households showed that the study families allocated a greater proportion, but similar amounts of money to cereals, dairy products, fruit and vegetables and miscellaneous foods, and less to meat, nonalcoholic beverages and food eaten away from home. Despite large differences in the amount of money spent in the first and second weeks of a social security payment period, the nutrient density of the parents' diets was maintained at a similar level in both weeks. The only exception was vitamin C, for which the median intake was significantly lower in the second week, consistent with reduced purchases of fruit and vegetables in the same period. In interviews with 13 of the parents a variety of purchasing and budgeting strategies were described, indicating common concerns with making the most of their limited resources. The data from this study support the notion that low‐income families give priority to food purchases above other expenses such as recreation. They also support the view that low‐income families are concerned about health and nutrition and manage to consume nutritionally sound diets under difficult circumstances. Nutrition education programs could support them in this endeavour.

Monitoring the Affordability of Healthy Eating: A Case Study of 10 Years of the Illawarra Healthy Food Basket

“…A number of studies suggest that lower socio-economic families have diets that are less likely to comply with dietary guidelines [3,4], although this is not a consistent finding [5,6]. …”

Bodies, mothers and identities: rethinking obesity and the BMI

“…This is demonstrated by epidemiological studies which reveal an inverse relation between obesity and socio‐economic status, such that obesity is six times more prevalent among women of lower SES than among those of higher SES (Sobal and Stunkard 1989: 261, Stunkard and Sorenson 1993). This is not to perpetuate the common assumption that people from lower SES necessarily have poorer nutritional status (Crotty and Germov 2004), do not hear health education messages (the so‐called ‘deaf ears phenomenon’), or do not value education (Crotty et al 1992: 168). Our aim was to compare the dialogical relationship between socio‐economic status and obesity across these differing groups of women, in order to explore different embodied dispositions.…”

What's cooking for dietetics? A review of the literature

“…Research into food insecurity generally uses quantitative methods to assess if cooking skills are a perceived barrier, but without a common meaning on what is ‘cooking’ 32 . Crotty's work with low‐income single parents in the 1990s demonstrated that the foods being consumed were generally nutritious but were not incorporated into what dietitians might consider as acceptable meals 33 …”

“…32 Crotty's work with low-income single parents in the 1990s demonstrated that the foods being consumed were generally nutritious but were not incorporated into what dietitians might consider as acceptable meals. 33…”