Abstract
Objective:
To establish a baseline understanding of whether consuming food with the highest nutritional quality, lowest greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) and cost differs between different UK demographic and socio-economic population groups.
Design:
Multiple linear regression models were fitted to evaluate the relationship between predictor socio-demographic variables in this study (i.e. sex, ethnic group, age, BMI and level of deprivation) and the response variables (i.e. consumption of items considered most nutritious, with a low GHGE and price, as a proportion of total items consumed).
Setting:
The UK.
Participants:
1374 adult (18–65 years) participants from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey latest waves 9–11 (2016–2017 and 2018–2019).
Results:
Based on the total energy consumption in a day, the average diet-based GHGE was significantly higher for participants with a higher BMI. Non-white and most deprived participants spent significantly (P < 0·001) less money per total energy consumption. Participants with a BMI between 18·6 and 39·9 kg/m2 and those living in the least deprived areas consumed a significantly (P < 0·001) higher amount of those items considered the most nutritious, with the lowest GHGE and cost per 100 kcal.
Conclusions:
Consumption of food with the highest nutritional quality, lowest GHGE and cost in the UK varies among those with different socio-demographic characteristics, especially the deprivation level of participants. Our analysis endorses the consideration of environmental sustainability and affordability, in addition to the consideration of nutritional quality from a health perspective, to make current dietary guidelines more encompassing and equitable.
To establish a baseline understanding of whether consuming food with the highest nutritional quality, lowest greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) and cost differs between different UK demographic and socio-economic population groups.
Design:
Multiple linear regression models were fitted to evaluate the relationship between predictor socio-demographic variables in this study (i.e. sex, ethnic group, age, BMI and level of deprivation) and the response variables (i.e. consumption of items considered most nutritious, with a low GHGE and price, as a proportion of total items consumed).
Setting:
The UK.
Participants:
1374 adult (18–65 years) participants from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey latest waves 9–11 (2016–2017 and 2018–2019).
Results:
Based on the total energy consumption in a day, the average diet-based GHGE was significantly higher for participants with a higher BMI. Non-white and most deprived participants spent significantly (P < 0·001) less money per total energy consumption. Participants with a BMI between 18·6 and 39·9 kg/m2 and those living in the least deprived areas consumed a significantly (P < 0·001) higher amount of those items considered the most nutritious, with the lowest GHGE and cost per 100 kcal.
Conclusions:
Consumption of food with the highest nutritional quality, lowest GHGE and cost in the UK varies among those with different socio-demographic characteristics, especially the deprivation level of participants. Our analysis endorses the consideration of environmental sustainability and affordability, in addition to the consideration of nutritional quality from a health perspective, to make current dietary guidelines more encompassing and equitable.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 3370-3378 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Public Health Nutrition |
| Volume | 26 |
| Issue number | 12 |
| Early online date | 31 Oct 2023 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Dec 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Financial supportThis research was funded by the Scottish Government’s Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services Division (RESAS) and responsive opportunity funding from the Scottish Environment, Food and Agriculture Research Institutes (SEFARI).
Data Availability Statement
Supplementary materialFor supplementary material accompanying this paper visit https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980023002355
Keywords
- diet
- nutrition quality
- greenhouse gas emissions
- cost
- sustainability
- UK
Access to Document
- Aceves-Martins_etal_PHN_Consumption_Of_Foods_VOR
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