Food Insecurity
Food insecurity is when someone doesn’t have access to enough nutritious food for a healthy and active life.
Our research is investigating what causes food insecurity, how best to address it, and the impact it can have on our health.
How is our research making a difference?
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The HAF-DEFINE Project: Holiday Activities & Food Programme – Provides guidance to support families who may struggle to buy food and pay for enrichment activities in the school holidays.
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An evaluation of nutrition welfare policies for low-income children in the UK – Investigated the impact of the Healthy Start voucher scheme and Universal Infant Free School Meals programme on the diet of low-income infants.
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Digital food delivery services and household food purchasing behaviours – Explored who uses digital food delivery services and the impact on inequalities in food purchasing behaviours.
What research are we currently doing?
Healthy food shouldn’t cost the earth: co-produced community centred healthy and sustainable food
Background Food insecurity is a big problem for people and public health. In the UK, more and more people are struggling to get enough food. In June 2024, it was estimated that 13.6% UK households were living with food insecurity. However, we waste a lot of food each year (about…
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What research are we currently doing?
Exploring food insecurity in pregnancy in the UK to inform future Public Health intervention needs
Aim This project aims to identify the levels of food insecurity in pregnancy in the North East and West Midlands, how this impacts on diet and health outcomes for pregnant people and their babies, the costs of this to maternity services and wider healthcare, and to explore their experiences…
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What research are we currently doing?
How does food insecurity impact on breastfeeding and infant feeding decisions and what are the support needs: a scoping study to inform public health prevention?
Background Food insecurity is when someone struggles to afford or access enough food. Food insecure mothers are less likely to breastfeed, and if they do, they are more likely to stop breastfeeding sooner than food secure mothers, independent of other socio-demographic characteristics. This creates a “breastfeeding paradox”, whereby those who…
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What research are we currently doing?
Roots to research: Understanding the multidimensional relationships between academia and grassroots food aid organisations and their role within participatory research
Background Food insecurity is a leading public health concern, with complex health and social implications. It is estimated that the most deprived fifth of the UK population would need to be spend 50% of their total income on healthy food to meet government guidance. Many people depend on local organisations,…
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What research are we currently doing?
Exploring how local authorities have used the Household Support Fund to support food insecure families, 2021–2025
Background A person lacking the resources to access and prepare nutritious food is considered food insecure. Food insecurity in families with children is a growing concern. Food insecurity is higher in deprived areas and exacerbates health inequalities. In 2021, the government introduced the ‘Household Support Fund’ (HSF), aimed at supporting…
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What research are we currently doing?
Exploring the impact of family size on child health outcomes and service use
Background The number of children in the UK living in poverty increased from 3.6 million (2010/11) to 4.3 million (2022/23). There is growing evidence of the impact of rising poverty on children health outcomes, for example worse respiratory health due to cold, damp and mould in housing and tooth decay…
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What have we already provided evidence on?
- Promoting food security for children, young people and families accessing emergency or temporary accommodation: a scoping study – Explored the food-based experiences of children, young people and families accessing emergency or temporary accommodation.
- Did children get their free school meals during lockdown? – Discovered efforts to continue access to free school meals for low-income children during the COVID-19 lockdown were not effective.
- Impacts of changes to public sector spending on nutritional intakes and health outcomes in the UK – Investigated the impact of the economic recession on diets and of austerity measures on food insecurity.
Where can I find out more?
What is the right amount of food for preschool children?
Alice Porter discusses her PhD research on age-appropriate portion sizes for preschool aged children Portion size is the amount of food and/or drink served to or eaten by someone. We know from the research that getting portion sizes right is important for child growth. Serving the right amount of…
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Where can I find out more?
Researchers in the making – new SPHR podcast by trainees Karen and Charan
The School has launched a podcast ‘Researchers in the Making’ hosted by SPHR trainees Karen and Charan. Listen to Karen and Charan discussing the ins and outs of doing a PhD in public health research.
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Where can I find out more?
Food, Pregnancy and Me – online event
Venue: Online Start: Mon, 01 Dec 2025 10:00:00 GMT End: Mon, 01 Dec 2025 11:30:00 GMT Joint event with Fuse and the Nourishing Futures Network About this event Food insecurity is a term used to describe when a household or person lacks consistent access to enough affordable, nutritious, and healthy…
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ResNet project launch – ‘Supporting households in crisis: A research study on families and food access’
Official launch… What happens when researchers, community leaders, and the public come together to tackle food insecurity head-on? On Wednesday 1st October 2025, that is exactly what we did! We brought together over thirty key stakeholders from across the Northwest region to officially launch the Household Support Fund ResNet…
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