PMID- 37997137
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20231129
LR  - 20240308
IS  - 1474-547X (Electronic)
IS  - 0140-6736 (Linking)
VI  - 402 Suppl 1
DP  - 2023 Nov
TI  - Food insecurity and diet quality in households accessing food membership clubs in 
      Wessex: a mixed-methods study.
PG  - S90
LID - S0140-6736(23)02131-1 [pii]
LID - 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)02131-1 [doi]
AB  - BACKGROUND: Food membership clubs that charge a small fee for a set number of 
      items are in place in Wessex to address food insecurity (inadequate reliable 
      access to sufficient affordable, nutritious food). These clubs incorporate 
      longer-term solutions such as budgeting support, benefit maximisation, and 
      cooking skills. The Wessex DIET project was established to measure acceptability 
      and impact of these clubs. Given the paucity of evidence on the prevalence of 
      food insecurity in those accessing such clubs, we aimed to quantify food 
      insecurity and assess diet quality and wellbeing at recruitment. METHODS: In this 
      mixed-methods study, we recruited individuals accessing food clubs in Wessex from 
      March 31 to July 31, 2022. Participants provided informed consent and completed a 
      survey (paper or online) at recruitment that collected data on diet and health. 
      We used the modified six-item US Department of Agriculture (USDA) food security 
      survey module. Follow-up surveys were administered after use of clubs (planned 
      for 3, 6, and 12 months). Participants were invited to participate in a 
      semi-structured interview. We used data from the baseline survey to quantify food 
      insecurity and assess diet quality and wellbeing at point of first access to food 
      clubs. FINDINGS: Of 97 participants recruited, five (5%) were aged 18-24 years, 
      15 (15%) 25-34 years, 48 (49%) 35-54 years, 13 (13%) 55-64 years, and nine (9%) 
      65 years and older (seven [7%] did not report their age). 69 (71%) participants 
      were female and 23 (24%) were male (five [5%] did not respond to this question), 
      79 (81%) were White, and 65 (67%) reported having at least one dependent child. 
      55 (57%) reported skipping or cutting size of meals because there was not enough 
      money for food. Food security status was calculated in 74 participants who 
      answered all six questions of the USDA module, with 30 (41%) reporting low food 
      security and 32 (43%) reporting very low food security. 31 (32%) of 97 
      participants reported rarely or never eating fruit, with 23 (24%) eating fruit at 
      least once a day. The most common reported frequency of vegetable consumption was 
      2-3 times a week (26, 27%) and 4-6 times a week (23, 24%). 12 participants agreed 
      to an interview. The clubs were well received, with participants noticing an 
      improvement in their diet and finances. INTERPRETATION: This study highlights the 
      high prevalence of food insecurity in those accessing food clubs in Wessex, which 
      is expected in a population using food aid, and positive reflections from 
      participants regarding their diet quality after using this service. Findings 
      might not be generalisable nationally. Follow-up will assess impact of the clubs 
      on food insecurity, diet quality and wellbeing, contributing to the evidence base 
      of the effectiveness of food clubs to address these outcomes. FUNDING: National 
      Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration 
      Wessex.
CI  - Copyright (c) 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
FAU - Taylor, Elizabeth
AU  - Taylor E
AD  - School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton, 
      Southampton, UK; NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Wessex, Southampton, UK.
FAU - Ziauddeen, Nida
AU  - Ziauddeen N
AD  - NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Wessex, Southampton, UK; School of Primary 
      Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University 
      of Southampton, Southampton, UK. Electronic address: nida.ziauddeen@soton.ac.uk.
FAU - Alwan, Nisreen A
AU  - Alwan NA
AD  - NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Wessex, Southampton, UK; School of Primary 
      Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University 
      of Southampton, Southampton, UK; NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, 
      University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation 
      Trust, Southampton, UK.
FAU - Smith, Dianna
AU  - Smith D
AD  - School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton, 
      Southampton, UK; NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Wessex, Southampton, UK.
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PL  - England
TA  - Lancet
JT  - Lancet (London, England)
JID - 2985213R
SB  - IM
MH  - Female
MH  - Humans
MH  - Male
MH  - *Diet
MH  - Family Characteristics
MH  - Food Insecurity
MH  - *Food Supply
MH  - Surveys and Questionnaires
MH  - Adolescent
MH  - Young Adult
MH  - Adult
MH  - Middle Aged
MH  - Aged
EDAT- 2023/11/24 06:42
MHDA- 2023/11/27 12:44
CRDT- 2023/11/24 00:24
PHST- 2023/05/15 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2023/09/08 00:00 [revised]
PHST- 2023/09/22 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2023/11/27 12:44 [medline]
PHST- 2023/11/24 06:42 [pubmed]
PHST- 2023/11/24 00:24 [entrez]
AID - S0140-6736(23)02131-1 [pii]
AID - 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)02131-1 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Lancet. 2023 Nov;402 Suppl 1:S90. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)02131-1.