Food & Health Alliance

Changes in diet and food access, 1992-2002: A review of existing findings within West of Scotland Twenty-07 Study, by Anne Ellaway of the MRC Social & Public Health Sciences Unit, was commissioned by Health Scotland for The Scottish Diet Action Plan Review Panel. Its focus was the influence of neighbourhood environment, and changes in dietary behaviour.

Data from the Twenty-07 Study showed that overall levels of fruit consumption increased over a ten year period (1992-2002). While the levels of fruit consumption were higher among those living in the more affluent locality, the rate of improvement was greater among adults living in the deprived locality particularly the cohort born in the 1950s).  This pattern of change was confirmed by other population surveys.

Respondents had made modest but significant changes in eating behaviours over the study period and these were in the direction of the recommended targets. Around half the respondents met the Scottish Dietary Action Plan targets for breakfast cereals and oily fish while the targets for bread, fruit and vegetables were not met by the majority of respondents.

Overall, respondents regard their diet as being less healthy than they did in the early 1990s. This may reflect increased awareness over the time period of what constitutes a healthy diet and a revised assessment of their status in this regard.

The main conclusions of the report include

• Actions to improve the Scottish diet and change eating/shopping patterns need to address the food retailing and food production characteristics of neighbourhood environments in order to improve access to affordable healthy foods in poorer areas.  
• A faster rate of improvement in fruit consumption among more disadvantaged social class groups may reflect the growth of local activity ‘on the ground’ (e.g. community food initiatives to improve access to healthier foods) by agencies in deprived areas although a special study is required to confirm this.