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Optimizing intervention strategies integrating social prescribing as a means of encouraging and enabling healthy and sustainable dietary behaviours in low-income families

People Involved

Project Description

Adults and children living on a low income are more likely to be overweight or obese in Scotland than those living in less deprived circumstances. It has been estimated by the UK Food Foundation that the poorest fifth of Britain’s population would have to spend 47% of their household income (after housing costs) to purchase food that meets Government recommendations for a healthy diet, and in light of this, the costs associated with consuming a healthy diet have been linked to weight gain in poorer households. In the past two decades a range of different programmes and approaches have been introduced to encourage and enable poor households to improve dietary intakes with limited success.

This study will explore how so-called ‘social prescribing’ might support low-income individuals who wish to lose some body weight, by engaging them with a wide range of community services and supports to improve the nutritional quality of their diets. Social prescribing, also known as community referral, enables health professionals to refer people to local, non-clinical services and generally involves health professionals working in primary care settings, for example, GPs or practice nurses. The study will focus on Aberdeen City where social prescribing has been implemented with the support of the link worker programme for the last 5 years.

This is a 5-year collaboration with the Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health (University of Aberdeen) and Aberdeen City Council Health and Social Care Partnership. The overall aim of this research is to explore the functioning, acceptability and potential impact of social prescribing as means of connecting low-income clients and households with an expanded range of supports, including community food programmes, to help improve the range and quality of food consumed at home. Its findings are intended to inform policy and practice associated with weight management programmes targeting deprived populations, and to address dietary inequalities in low-income groups more generally.

Type of Project Project
Status Project Live
Funder(s) Scottish Government
Value £38,598.00
Project Dates Apr 1, 2022 - Mar 31, 2027

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