IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i24p13315-d705019.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Dietary Intake, Cost, and Affordability by Socioeconomic Group in Australia

Author

Listed:
  • Meron Lewis

    (School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Herston 4006, Australia
    The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre, The Sax Institute, Glebe 2037, Australia)

  • Sarah A. McNaughton

    (Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong 3220, Australia)

  • Lucie Rychetnik

    (The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre, The Sax Institute, Glebe 2037, Australia
    School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Glebe 2037, Australia)

  • Mark D. Chatfield

    (School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Herston 4006, Australia)

  • Amanda J. Lee

    (School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Herston 4006, Australia)

Abstract

Few Australians consume diets consistent with the Australian Dietary Guidelines. A major problem is high intake of discretionary food and drinks (those not needed for health and high in saturated fat, added sugar, salt and/or alcohol). Low socioeconomic groups (SEGs) suffer particularly poor diet-related health. Surprisingly, detailed quantitative dietary data across SEGs was lacking. Analysis of the most recent national nutrition survey data produced habitual intakes of a reference household (two adults and two children) in SEG quintiles of household income. Cost and affordability of habitual and recommended diets for the reference household were determined using methods based on the Healthy Diets Australian Standardised Affordability and Pricing protocol. Low SEGs reported significantly lower intakes of healthy food and drinks yet similarly high intakes of discretionary choices to high SEGs (435 serves/fortnight). Total habitual diets of low SEGs cost significantly less than those of high SEGs (AU$751/fortnight to AU$853/fortnight). Results confirmed low SEGs cannot afford a healthy diet. Lower intakes of healthy choices in low SEGs may help explain their higher rates of diet-related disease compared to higher SEGs. The findings can inform potential policy actions to improve affordability of healthy foods and help drive healthier diets for all Australians.

Suggested Citation

  • Meron Lewis & Sarah A. McNaughton & Lucie Rychetnik & Mark D. Chatfield & Amanda J. Lee, 2021. "Dietary Intake, Cost, and Affordability by Socioeconomic Group in Australia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-14, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:24:p:13315-:d:705019
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/24/13315/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/24/13315/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sharon Friel & Melanie Pescud & Eleanor Malbon & Amanda Lee & Robert Carter & Joanne Greenfield & Megan Cobcroft & Jane Potter & Lucie Rychetnik & Beth Meertens, 2017. "Using systems science to understand the determinants of inequities in healthy eating," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(11), pages 1-18, November.
    2. Timothy J. Landrigan & Deborah A. Kerr & Satvinder S. Dhaliwal & Christina M. Pollard, 2018. "Protocol for the Development of a Food Stress Index to Identify Households Most at Risk of Food Insecurity in Western Australia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-9, December.
    3. Amanda Lee & Meron Lewis, 2018. "Testing the Price of Healthy and Current Diets in Remote Aboriginal Communities to Improve Food Security: Development of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Healthy Diets ASAP (Australian Standa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-15, December.
    4. Penelope Love & Jillian Whelan & Colin Bell & Felicity Grainger & Cherie Russell & Meron Lewis & Amanda Lee, 2018. "Healthy Diets in Rural Victoria—Cheaper than Unhealthy Alternatives, Yet Unaffordable," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-16, November.
    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. Meron Lewis & Lisa-Maree Herron & Mark D. Chatfield & Ru Chyi Tan & Alana Dale & Stephen Nash & Amanda J. Lee, 2023. "Healthy Food Prices Increased More Than the Prices of Unhealthy Options during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Concurrent Challenges to the Food System," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-17, February.

    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. 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.
    2. Christina Mary Pollard & Sue Booth, 2019. "Addressing Food and Nutrition Security in Developed Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-5, July.
    3. Meron Lewis & Lisa-Maree Herron & Mark D. Chatfield & Ru Chyi Tan & Alana Dale & Stephen Nash & Amanda J. Lee, 2023. "Healthy Food Prices Increased More Than the Prices of Unhealthy Options during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Concurrent Challenges to the Food System," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-17, February.
    4. Penelope Love & Jillian Whelan & Colin Bell & Jane McCracken, 2019. "Measuring Rural Food Environments for Local Action in Australia: A Systematic Critical Synthesis Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-21, July.
    5. Sarah Gerritsen & Sophia Harré & Boyd Swinburn & David Rees & Ana Renker-Darby & Ann E. Bartos & Wilma E. Waterlander, 2019. "Systemic Barriers and Equitable Interventions to Improve Vegetable and Fruit Intake in Children: Interviews with National Food System Actors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-19, April.
    6. Christina Zorbas & Jennifer Browne & Alexandra Chung & Anna Peeters & Sue Booth & Christina Pollard & Steven Allender & Anna Isaacs & Corinna Hawkes & Kathryn Backholer, 2023. "Shifting the social determinants of food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic: the Australian experience," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 15(1), pages 151-170, February.
    7. Nisbett, Nicholas, 2019. "Understanding the nourishment of bodies at the centre of food and health systems – systemic, bodily and new materialist perspectives on nutritional inequity," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 228(C), pages 9-16.
    8. Brianna F. Poirier & Joanne Hedges & Lisa G. Smithers & Megan Moskos & Lisa M. Jamieson, 2022. "Child-, Family-, and Community-Level Facilitators for Promoting Oral Health Practices among Indigenous Children," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-19, January.
    9. Elena Carrillo-Álvarez & Blanca Salinas-Roca & Lluís Costa-Tutusaus & Raimon Milà-Villarroel & Nithya Shankar Krishnan, 2021. "The Measurement of Food Insecurity in High-Income Countries: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-57, September.
    10. Patricia E Jessiman & Katie Powell & Philippa Williams & Hannah Fairbrother & Mary Crowder & Joanna G Williams & Ruth Kipping, 2021. "A systems map of the determinants of child health inequalities in England at the local level," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(2), pages 1-25, February.
    11. Megan Ferguson & Emma Tonkin & Julie Brimblecombe & Amanda Lee & Bronwyn Fredericks & Katherine Cullerton & Catherine L. Mah & Clare Brown & Emma McMahon & Mark D. Chatfield & Eddie Miles & Yvonne Cad, 2023. "Communities Setting the Direction for Their Right to Nutritious, Affordable Food: Co-Design of the Remote Food Security Project in Australian Indigenous Communities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-14, February.
    12. Mohammad Reza Davahli & Waldemar Karwowski & Redha Taiar, 2020. "A System Dynamics Simulation Applied to Healthcare: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-27, August.
    13. Joreintje D. Mackenbach & Marielle A. Beenackers & J. Mark Noordzij & Joost Oude Groeniger & Jeroen Lakerveld & Frank J. van Lenthe, 2019. "The Moderating Role of Self-Control and Financial Strain in the Relation between Exposure to the Food Environment and Obesity: The GLOBE Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-12, February.
    14. Moira Zellner & Dean Massey & Anton Rozhkov & John T. Murphy, 2023. "Exploring the Barriers to and Potential for Sustainable Transitions in Urban–Rural Systems through Participatory Causal Loop Diagramming of the Food–Energy–Water Nexus," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-27, February.
    15. Lily Grigsby-Duffy & Sally Schultz & Liliana Orellana & Ella Robinson & Adrian J. Cameron & Josephine Marshall & Kathryn Backholer & Gary Sacks, 2020. "The Healthiness of Food and Beverages on Price Promotion at Promotional Displays: A Cross-Sectional Audit of Australian Supermarkets," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-17, December.
    16. Tiff-Annie Kenny & Matthew Little & Tad Lemieux & P. Joshua Griffin & Sonia D. Wesche & Yoshitaka Ota & Malek Batal & Hing Man Chan & Melanie Lemire, 2020. "The Retail Food Sector and Indigenous Peoples in High-Income Countries: A Systematic Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-49, November.
    17. Amanda Lee & Meron Lewis, 2018. "Testing the Price of Healthy and Current Diets in Remote Aboriginal Communities to Improve Food Security: Development of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Healthy Diets ASAP (Australian Standa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-15, December.
    18. Helen Brown & Katrina Proust & Barry Newell & Jeffery Spickett & Tony Capon & Lisa Bartholomew, 2018. "Cool Communities—Urban Density, Trees, and Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-16, July.
    19. Browne, Jennifer & Walker (Yorta Yorta), Troy & Hill (Torres Strait Islander), Karen & Mitchell (Mununjali), Fiona & Beswick, Holly & Thow (Pennemuker, Ngāti Porou), Stephanie & Ryan (Gunditjmara), Jo, 2024. "Food policies for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health (FoodPATH): A systems thinking approach," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    20. Pippa McKelvie-Sebileau & David Rees & David Tipene-Leach & Erica D’Souza & Boyd Swinburn & Sarah Gerritsen, 2022. "Community Co-Design of Regional Actions for Children’s Nutritional Health Combining Indigenous Knowledge and Systems Thinking," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-14, April.

    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:18:y:2021:i:24:p:13315-:d:705019. 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.