Drivers of Healthy Start uptake across England and Liverpool

英国最近的数据显示，粮食不安全状况令人担忧地增加，2022年9月有25%的有儿童家庭受到影响，高于2021年1月的10%。这一激增对有儿童的家庭造成了不成比例的影响，并可能影响他们获得新鲜水果和蔬菜，因为许多低收入家庭难以负担这些营养选择。英格兰的健康起步计划为购买水果、蔬菜和牛奶提供财政援助，这对低收入家庭可能至关重要。然而，其吸收率仍然相对较低。已查明对该方案缺乏认识和实施障碍。Feeding利物浦于2021年进行了一项试点研究，以了解HS受益人的观点，该研究表明家庭难以提出申请。针对HS吸收率低的情况，许多地方当局和地方粮食联盟已将促进HS作为其公共卫生和粮食战略的中心支柱。然而，这些促进战略在多大程度上产生了影响，尚未得到审查。也没有探讨吸收方面的潜在差异，城市地区内吸收率可能存在重大差异。更全面地了解当地因素对这些变化的贡献是至关重要的。该项目与喂养利物浦合作，旨在调查HS吸收在个人，区域和区域内水平的驱动因素。该项目的方法采用混合方法，解决四个主要研究目标：1。调查与HS凭证接收相关的家庭和个人因素，包括粮食不安全，英语作为第二语言（ESL），时间限制和残疾。2.分析影响英格兰HS吸收的地区因素，如当地支出，零售可及性和政策策略。检查利物浦的病房级吸收率，将定量数据与选定区域的定性案例研究联系起来。通过与利益相关者和潜在受益者的访谈，探索促进者和HS吸收的障碍。该项目的研究结果将通过三篇期刊文章和与喂养利物浦合作的学生主导的报告进行传播。预计这些见解将为当地战略提供信息，以促进HS计划，使他们能够针对与较低吸收率相关的特定因素。这项研究不仅有利于喂养利物浦，也有利于关注HS吸收的各个地方当局，并有可能通过喂养利物浦在喂养英国网络中的成员资格进行更广泛的传播。此外，该项目有可能提高低收入家庭及其幼儿的生活质量，通过促进更好地推广和吸收HS计划，并改善获得营养食品的机会。总之，该项目解决了英国日益严重的粮食不安全的紧迫问题，特别关注健康开始计划的吸收。其综合方法结合了定量和定性方法，有可能推动循证战略，以提高对该方案的接受程度。

Recent data in the UK reveal a concerning increase in food insecurity, affecting 25% of households with children in September 2022, up from 10% in January 2021. This surge has disproportionately impacted households with children and may affect their access to fresh fruits and vegetables, as many low-income families struggle to afford these nutritious options. The Healthy Start (HS) program in England, offering financial assistance for the purchase of fruit, vegetables, and milk may be crucial for low-income families. However, its uptake remains relatively low. Lack of awareness of the programme and barriers to uptake have been identified. Feeding Liverpool conducted a pilot study in 2021 to understand the perspectives of HS beneficiaries, which suggested that families struggled to make applications. In response to low HS uptake rates, many local authorities and local food alliances have made the promotion of HS a central pillar of their public health and food strategies. However, the extent to which these promotion strategies have had an impact remains unexamined. Potential disparities in uptake have not been explored either, and significant variations in uptake rates can exist within city regions. A more comprehensive understanding of the local factors contributing to these variations is crucial.This project, in collaboration with Feeding Liverpool, seeks to investigate the drivers of HS uptake at the individual, area, and within-area levels. The methodology for this project takes a mixed methods approach, addressing four main research objectives:1. Investigate household and individual factors associated with HS voucher receipt, including food insecurity, English as a Second Language (ESL), time constraints and disability. 2. Analyse area-level factors affecting HS uptake across England, such as local spending, retail accessibility, and policy strategies.3. Examine ward-level uptake rates in Liverpool, linking quantitative data to qualitative case studies in selected areas.4. Explore facilitators and barriers to HS uptake through interviews with stakeholders and potential beneficiaries.The project's findings will be disseminated through three journal articles and a student-led report in collaboration with Feeding Liverpool. These insights are anticipated to inform local area strategies to promote the HS program, enabling them to target specific factors associated with lower uptake rates. This research will benefit not only Feeding Liverpool but also various local authorities focusing on HS uptake, with potential for wider dissemination through Feeding Liverpool's membership in the Feeding Britain network. Moreover, the project has the potential to enhance the quality of life for low-income families and their young children by facilitating better promotion and uptake of the HS program and improving access to nutritious foods.In summary, this project addresses the pressing issue of rising food insecurity in the UK, with a specific focus on Healthy Start program uptake. Its comprehensive approach, combining quantitative and qualitative methods, has the potential to drive evidence-based strategies to improve the uptake of this programme.