IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v15y2018i12p2738-d187918.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

“ A Lot of People Are Struggling Privately. They Don’t Know Where to Go or They’re Not Sure of What to Do ”: Frontline Service Provider Perspectives of the Nature of Household Food Insecurity in Scotland

Author

Listed:
  • Flora Douglas

    (School of Nursing and Midwifery, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen AB10 7QG, Scotland)

  • Fiona MacKenzie

    (Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, Scotland)

  • Ourega-Zoé Ejebu

    (Health Economics Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, Scotland)

  • Stephen Whybrow

    (The Rowett Institute, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, Scotland)

  • Ada L. Garcia

    (Human Nutrition, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G31 2ER, Scotland)

  • Lynda McKenzie

    (Health Economics Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, Scotland)

  • Anne Ludbrook

    (Health Economics Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, Scotland)

  • Elizabeth Dowler

    (Emeritus Professor of Food & Social Policy, Department Sociology, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK)

Abstract

This qualitative study explored frontline service providers’ perceptions of the nature of food insecurity in Scotland in 2015 to inform national policy and the provision of locally-based support for ‘at risk’ groups. A country-wide in-depth interview study was undertaken with informants from 25 health, social care, and third sector organisations. The study investigated informants’ perspectives associated with how food insecurity was manifesting itself locally, and what was happening at the local level in response to the existence of food insecurity. Data analysis revealed three key themes. First, the multiple faces and factors of food insecurity involving not only increased concern for previously recognised ‘at risk of food insecurity’ groups, but also similar concern held about newly food insecure groups including working families, young people and women. Secondly, respondents witnessed stoicism and struggle , but also resistance amongst some food insecure individuals to external offers of help. The final theme identified community participation yet pessimism associated with addressing current and future needs of food insecure groups. These findings have important implications for the design and delivery of health and social policy in Scotland and other countries facing similar challenges.

Suggested Citation

  • Flora Douglas & Fiona MacKenzie & Ourega-Zoé Ejebu & Stephen Whybrow & Ada L. Garcia & Lynda McKenzie & Anne Ludbrook & Elizabeth Dowler, 2018. "“ A Lot of People Are Struggling Privately. They Don’t Know Where to Go or They’re Not Sure of What to Do ”: Frontline Service Provider Perspectives of the Nature of Household Food Insecurity in Scotl," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-22, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:12:p:2738-:d:187918
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/12/2738/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/12/2738/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chilton, M. & Rose, D., 2009. "A rights-based approach to food insecurity in the United States," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 99(7), pages 1203-1211.
    2. Nicholas R V Jones & Annalijn I Conklin & Marc Suhrcke & Pablo Monsivais, 2014. "The Growing Price Gap between More and Less Healthy Foods: Analysis of a Novel Longitudinal UK Dataset," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(10), pages 1-7, October.
    3. Merryn Maynard & Lesley Andrade & Sara Packull-McCormick & Christopher M. Perlman & Cesar Leos-Toro & Sharon I. Kirkpatrick, 2018. "Food Insecurity and Mental Health among Females in High-Income Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-36, July.
    4. Holmes, Eleanor & Black, Jennifer L. & Heckelman, Amber & Lear, Scott A. & Seto, Darlene & Fowokan, Adeleke & Wittman, Hannah, 2018. "“Nothing is going to change three months from now”: A mixed methods characterization of food bank use in Greater Vancouver," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 200(C), pages 129-136.
    5. Martin Caraher & Sinéad Furey, 2018. "The Economics of Emergency Food Aid Provision," Springer Books, Springer, number 978-3-319-78506-6, February.
    6. Rachel Loopstra & Valerie Tarasuk, 2012. "The Relationship between Food Banks and Household Food Insecurity among Low-Income Toronto Families," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 38(4), pages 497-514, December.
    7. Garthwaite, K.A. & Collins, P.J. & Bambra, C., 2015. "Food for thought: An ethnographic study of negotiating ill health and food insecurity in a UK foodbank," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 38-44.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Christina Mary Pollard & Sue Booth, 2019. "Addressing Food and Nutrition Security in Developed Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-5, July.
    2. Ourega-Zoé Ejebu & Stephen Whybrow & Lynda Mckenzie & Elizabeth Dowler & Ada L Garcia & Anne Ludbrook & Karen Louise Barton & Wendy Louise Wrieden & Flora Douglas, 2018. "What can Secondary Data Tell Us about Household Food Insecurity in a High-Income Country Context?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-17, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Higgins, Christopher D. & Páez, Antonio & Kim, Gyoorie & Wang, Jue, 2021. "Changes in accessibility to emergency and community food services during COVID-19 and implications for low income populations in Hamilton, Ontario," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 291(C).
    2. Ourega-Zoé Ejebu & Stephen Whybrow & Lynda Mckenzie & Elizabeth Dowler & Ada L Garcia & Anne Ludbrook & Karen Louise Barton & Wendy Louise Wrieden & Flora Douglas, 2018. "What can Secondary Data Tell Us about Household Food Insecurity in a High-Income Country Context?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-17, December.
    3. Danielle Gallegos & Mariana M. Chilton, 2019. "Re-Evaluating Expertise: Principles for Food and Nutrition Security Research, Advocacy and Solutions in High-Income Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-16, February.
    4. Holmes, Eleanor & Black, Jennifer L. & Heckelman, Amber & Lear, Scott A. & Seto, Darlene & Fowokan, Adeleke & Wittman, Hannah, 2018. "“Nothing is going to change three months from now”: A mixed methods characterization of food bank use in Greater Vancouver," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 200(C), pages 129-136.
    5. Christina M Pollard & Sue Booth, 2019. "Food Insecurity and Hunger in Rich Countries—It Is Time for Action against Inequality," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-13, May.
    6. Sue Booth & Christina Pollard & John Coveney & Ian Goodwin-Smith, 2018. "‘Sustainable’ Rather Than ‘Subsistence’ Food Assistance Solutions to Food Insecurity: South Australian Recipients’ Perspectives on Traditional and Social Enterprise Models," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-18, September.
    7. Mossenson, Sharonna & Giglia, Roslyn & Pulker, Claire E. & Chester, Miranda & McStay, Catrina & Pollard, Christina M, 2024. "Evidence for initiating food safety policy: An assessment of the quality and safety of donated food at an Australian food bank," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    8. Shazia Kousar & Farhan Ahmed & Amber Pervaiz & Štefan Bojnec, 2021. "Food Insecurity, Population Growth, Urbanization and Water Availability: The Role of Government Stability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-19, November.
    9. Matteo Vittuari & Fabio De Menna & Silvia Gaiani & Luca Falasconi & Alessandro Politano & Jana Dietershagen & Andrea Segrè, 2017. "The Second Life of Food: An Assessment of the Social Impact of Food Redistribution Activities in Emilia Romagna, Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-14, October.
    10. Eunice Magalhães & Maria Manuela Calheiros & Carla Antunes, 2018. "‘I Always Say What I Think’: a Rights-Based Approach of Young People’s Psychosocial Functioning in Residential Care," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 11(6), pages 1801-1816, December.
    11. Benita Y. Tam & Leanne Findlay & Dafna Kohen, 2014. "Social Networks as a Coping Strategy for Food Insecurity and Hunger for Young Aboriginal and Canadian Children," Societies, MDPI, vol. 4(3), pages 1-14, September.
    12. Emma Beacom & Sinéad Furey & Lynsey Hollywood & Paul Humphreys, 2021. "Conceptualising household food insecurity in Northern Ireland: risk factors, implications for society and the economy, and recommendations for business and policy response," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 1(5), pages 1-22, May.
    13. Elena Popkova & Tatiana Litvinova & Nelli Saveleva & V. Sarakhmanova & Tatiana Popova & Sergei Mayer, 2015. "Problems and Perspectives of Formation of Agricultural Clusters for Increasing Food Security of Developing Countries," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(3), pages 177-186.
    14. Whittle, Henry J. & Palar, Kartika & Hufstedler, Lee Lemus & Seligman, Hilary K. & Frongillo, Edward A. & Weiser, Sheri D., 2015. "Food insecurity, chronic illness, and gentrification in the San Francisco Bay Area: An example of structural violence in United States public policy," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 154-161.
    15. Kelly J. Hodgins & Evan D. G. Fraser, 2018. ""We are a business, not a social service agency." Barriers to widening access for low-income shoppers in alternative food market spaces," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 35(1), pages 149-162, March.
    16. Nicole Darmon & Adam Drewnowski, 2015. "Contribution of food prices and diet cost to socioeconomic disparities in diet quality and health: a systematic review and analysis," Post-Print hal-01774670, HAL.
    17. Ron Kneebone & Margarita Wilkins, 2022. "The Sensitivity of Food Bank Visits to Social Assistance, Housing and Labour Market Conditions in Toronto," SPP Research Papers, The School of Public Policy, University of Calgary, vol. 15(10), March.
    18. Adam Pine, 2023. "Ambient struggling: food, chronic disease, and spatial isolation among the urban poor," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 40(3), pages 1105-1116, September.
    19. Haobin Fan & Xuanyi Nie & Sarah Wilson, 2023. "Mental Health, Material Possessions, and Social Capital During COVID-19: A Study of the United States Urban Working-Age Population," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 18(1), pages 561-599, February.
    20. Thalia M. Sparling & Megan Deeney & Bryan Cheng & Xuerui Han & Chiara Lier & Zhuozhi Lin & Claudia Offner & Marianne V. Santoso & Erin Pfeiffer & Jillian A. Emerson & Florence Mariamu Amadi & Khadija , 2022. "Systematic evidence and gap map of research linking food security and nutrition to mental health," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:12:p:2738-:d:187918. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.