Health Inequalities in the Food System

We go hunting...too: experiences of people living with obesity and food insecurity in an ethnically diverse community when shopping for supermarket foods. [Preprint] (2025)
Preprint / Working Paper
GREATWOOD, H.C., HUNTER, E., DOUGLAS, F., SAWZCUK, T., GILTHORPE, M.S., STONE, R.A., BROWN, A., JOHNSTONE, A., HARDMAN, C. and GRIFFITHIS, C., on behalf of the FIO Food Team. 2025. We go hunting…. too: experiences of people living with obesity and food insecurity in an ethnically diverse community when shopping for supermarket foods. [Preprint]. Hosted on OSF: Centre for Open Science [online]. Available from: https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/eswd8_v1

The United Kingdom faces complex economic and structural challenges that have disrupted food pricing, contributing to widespread food insecurity. These fluctuations diminish the affordability and accessibility of healthy, nutrient-dense foods among v... Read More about We go hunting...too: experiences of people living with obesity and food insecurity in an ethnically diverse community when shopping for supermarket foods. [Preprint].

Characteristics of supermarket-based interventions in high-income countries, aimed at improving the dietary quality and environmental sustainability of diets of people living with obesity and/or overweight and food insecurity: a scoping review. [Preprint] (2025)
Preprint / Working Paper
HUNTER, E., STONE, R.A., GREATWOOD, H., GRIFFITHS, C., HARDMAN, C.A., DOUGLAS, F., LONNIE, M., GREEN, M., SRITHARAN, N., THOMAS, M. and JOHNSTONE, A.M. 2025. Characteristics of supermarket-based interventions in high-income countries, aimed at improving the dietary quality and environmental sustainability of diets of people living with obesity and/or overweight and food insecurity: a scoping review. [Preprint]. Hosted on OSF: Centre for Open Science [online]. Available from: https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/szbgc_v1

Food insecurity (FI), is defined as unreliable access to healthy and nutritious food, and is a major health concern in higher-income countries, primarily due to its association with an increased risk of obesity. Adherence to healthy eating recommenda... Read More about Characteristics of supermarket-based interventions in high-income countries, aimed at improving the dietary quality and environmental sustainability of diets of people living with obesity and/or overweight and food insecurity: a scoping review. [Preprint].

Participants or pretenders? Addressing the challenge of inauthentic participation in academic research in the UK: experiences from the FIO and DIO Food research teams. [Preprint] (2025)
Preprint / Working Paper
HUNTER, E., STONE, R.A., GREATWOOD, H.C., JOHNSTONE, A.M., GRIFFITHS, C., CRABTREE, D.R., DOUGLAS, F., on behalf of the FIO and DIO Food Team. Participants or pretenders? Addressing the challenge of inauthentic participation in academic research in the UK: experiences from the FIO and DIO food research teams. [Preprint]. Hosted on OSF: Centre for Open Science [online]. Available from: https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/gzfxh_v1

Individuals participate in research for numerous reasons, however, the global economic downturn may have driven some to participate solely for monetary recompense. While inauthentic participation is more widely recognised in quantitative survey studi... Read More about Participants or pretenders? Addressing the challenge of inauthentic participation in academic research in the UK: experiences from the FIO and DIO Food research teams. [Preprint].

Views and experiences of people living with obesity and food insecurity on supermarket messaging: a reflexive thematic analysis. [Preprint] (2025)
Preprint / Working Paper
GREATWOOD, H.C., SAWZCUK, T., HUNTER, E., STONE, R.A., LONNIE, M., GILTHORPE, M.S., JOHNSTONE, A., BROWN, A., HARDMAN, C., WILKINS, E., DOUGLAS, F., THOMAS, M., SRITHARAN, N., GRIFFITHIS, C. on behalf of the FIO-Food Team. 2025. Views and experiences of people living with obesity and food insecurity on supermarket messaging: a reflexive thematic analysis. [Preprint]. Hosted on OSF: Centre for Open Science [online]. Available from: https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/3egnt_v1

People experiencing food insecurity (FI) are more likely to live with obesity and purchase foods of lower dietary quality. Retail campaigns have the potential to influence food purchasing behaviours. Still, little is known about how the retailers' me... Read More about Views and experiences of people living with obesity and food insecurity on supermarket messaging: a reflexive thematic analysis. [Preprint].

Understanding the lived experience of low-income UK parents’ and carers’, management of infant feeding challenges in the context of the current cost of living crisis: the Diet and Health Inequalities (DIO Food) project. [Preprint] (2025)
Preprint / Working Paper
HUNTER, E. and DOUGLAS, F. [2025]. Understanding the lived experience of low-income UK parents' and carers', management of infant feeding challenges in the context of the current cost of living crisis: the Diet and Health Inequalities (DIO Food) project. [Preprint]. Hosted on OSF: Centre for Open Science [online]. Available from: https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/4ebwh_v1

As the cost-of-living crisis continues, food charities report increased demand from families with young children and babies, suggesting, infants in low-income UK households are amongst the most food insecure of our citizens. This is concerning, first... Read More about Understanding the lived experience of low-income UK parents’ and carers’, management of infant feeding challenges in the context of the current cost of living crisis: the Diet and Health Inequalities (DIO Food) project. [Preprint].

Supermarket nutritionists' perspectives, views, and experiences on affordability interventions to support healthier and more environmentally sustainable food purchasing in UK retail settings. [Preprint] (2024)
Preprint / Working Paper
STONE, R.A., BROWN, A., DOUGLAS, F., GREATWOOD, H., GRIFFITHS, C., HUNTER, E., JOHNSTONE, A.M., LONNIE, M., MORRIS, M.A., SKEGGS, H. and HARDMAN, C.A. 2024. Supermarket nutritionists' perspectives, views, and experiences on affordability interventions to support healthier and more environmentally sustainable food purchasing in UK retail settings. [Preprint]. Hosted on OSF: Centre for Open Science [online]. Available from: https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/6v4nx_v1

Food insecurity (lack of reliable access to affordable and nutritious food) is a major concern in high-income countries because it increases the risk of poor nutrition, obesity and associated adverse health outcomes. Healthier diets are often also mo... Read More about Supermarket nutritionists' perspectives, views, and experiences on affordability interventions to support healthier and more environmentally sustainable food purchasing in UK retail settings. [Preprint].

Diet and health inequalities: connecting with vulnerable groups to address food insecurity: the DIO Food project. (2024)
Journal Article
CRABTREE, D.R., HUNTER, E., JENNESON, V., FILDES, A., KININMONTH, A., PONTIN, F., ENNIS, E., LONNIE, M., SKEGGS, H., MCHUGH, L., MORRIS, M.A., DOUGLAS, F. and JOHNSTONE, A.M., on behalf of the DIO Food team. 2024. Diet and health inequalities: connecting with vulnerable groups to address food insecurity: the DIO Food project. Nutrition bulletin [online], 49(4), pages 561-571. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/nbu.12709

The current cost-of-living crisis is disproportionately affecting families experiencing poverty and is likely to be amplifying existing dietary inequalities and challenges, such as food insecurity (FI). Government policies designed to address diet in... Read More about Diet and health inequalities: connecting with vulnerable groups to address food insecurity: the DIO Food project..

The impact of the cost of living crisis and food insecurity on food purchasing behaviours and food preparation practices in people living with obesity. [Preprint] (2024)
Preprint / Working Paper
STONE, R.A., BROWN, A., DOUGLAS, F., GREEN, M.A., HUNTER, E., LONNIE, M., JOHNSTONE, A.M., HARDMAN, C.A., on behalf of the FIO-Food Team. 2024. The impact of the cost of living crisis and food insecurity on food purchasing behaviours and food preparation practices in people living with obesity. [Preprint]. Hosted on OSF: Centre for Open Science [online]. Available from: https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/pjkhd_v1

Lower income households are at greater risk of food insecurity and poor diet quality. In high-income countries, food insecurity is associated with higher levels of obesity, and the global cost of living crisis is likely to have exacerbated existing d... Read More about The impact of the cost of living crisis and food insecurity on food purchasing behaviours and food preparation practices in people living with obesity. [Preprint].

The impact of the cost of living crisis and food insecurity on food purchasing behaviours and food preparation practices in people living with obesity. (2024)
Journal Article
STONE, R.A., BROWN, A., DOUGLAS, F., GREEN, M.A., HUNTER, E., LONNIE, M., JOHNSTONE, A.M. and HARDMAN, C., on behalf of the FIO-Food Team. 2024. The impact of the cost of living crisis and food insecurity on food purchasing behaviours and food preparation practices in people living with obesity. Appetite [online], 196, article number 107255. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2024.107255

Lower income households are at greater risk of food insecurity and poor diet quality than higher income households. In high-income countries, food insecurity is associated with high levels of obesity, and in the UK specifically, the cost of living cr... Read More about The impact of the cost of living crisis and food insecurity on food purchasing behaviours and food preparation practices in people living with obesity..

Diet and health inequalities (DIO) food project: feeding intentions and practices of parents and carers of infants (0-6 months) living on a low income in the UK. [Protocol] (2023)
Other
HUNTER, E., DOUGLAS, F. and JOHNSTONE, A. 2023. Diet and health inequalities (DIO) food project: Feeding intentions and practices of parents and carers of infants (0-6 months) living on a low income in the UK. [Protocol]. Hosted on OSF [online]. Available from: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/834HU

The aim of this qualitative research study is to capture parents' and carers' lived experiences and perceptions of the relationship between the current food system and other influences impacting infant feeding practice, associated with the current co... Read More about Diet and health inequalities (DIO) food project: feeding intentions and practices of parents and carers of infants (0-6 months) living on a low income in the UK. [Protocol].