A further analysis of the weight status and dietary characteristics of people reporting food insecurity in NSW: NSW Population Health Survey data 2007 and 2008.

Abstract

Food security refers to the ability to acquire appropriate and nutritious food on a regular and reliable basis. The NSW Population Health Survey uses a single item indicator of individual and household level food insecurity which measures financial access to food by asking the question “In the last 12 months, were there any times that you ran out of food and couldn’t afford to buy more?” The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between food insecurity and dietary habits in the NSW population, using data from the 2007 and 2008 NSW Population Health Surveys. Dietary habits of interest comprised the frequency of consumption of energy dense nutrient poor (EDNP) foods and drinks, as well as intake of fruit and vegetables. This study explores self reported data from the 2007 and 2008 New South Wales Population Health Surveys. Six dietary intake variables were included for this analysis based on their relevance to chronic disease and weight gain: vegetable intake, fruit intake, soft drink, hot chip, salty snacks and takeaway food consumption. Responses on these variables were dichotomised into ‘healthier’/’unhealthier’ categories.