A multi-level study of socioeconomic status and healthy food purchasing behaviour

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Socioeconomically disadvantaged groups have the highest rates of death and ill-health for diet-related diseases (eg. coronary heart disease, some cancers). Our understanding of the dietary practices which may contribute to these outcomes, however, is limited. This project focuses on this issue by examining the relationship between socioeconomic status and food purchasing behaviour. Studies investigating this relationship have found that disadvantaged social groups are least likely to purchase foods which are important for long-term health. The reasons for this association, however, remain unclear. Research into the general determinants of food purchasing behaviour shows that food choices are influenced by the intra-personal characteristics of individuals (eg. knowledge and beliefs), interactions between individuals sharing the same context (eg. relations between parents and children), economic and material factors (eg. income, access to a car) and features of the wider physical environment (eg. availability of healthy food and public transport). What is clear from this evidence, is that food choice is influenced by factors which operate at multiple levels. This project aims to collect data simultaneously from each level, and determine whether (and to what extent) factors operating at each level differentially influence the food purchasing behaviours of socioeconomic groups. This study (i) will contribute to our understanding of why socioeconomic groups differ in their health status, (ii) is consistent with the goals and recommendations of numerous government reports, each of which calls for a a reduction in health inequalities, (iii) represents a methodological advance on previous research, and (iv) will generate the information necessary to develop innovative and appropriately targeted health promotion and health education campaigns.