Mapping tool to help address dietary inequalities and food insecurity in social housing tenants

Background

Social housing tenants are more likely to experience food insecurity and struggle to access healthy foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables (FFV). Mapping risk factors for access to FFV and food insecurity can help policy makers better target interventions to tackle food insecurity in this population. This study aimed to develop small-area indicators mapping risk factors for access to FFV and food insecurity in social housing tenants across Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA), England.

Methods

Risk factors for access to FFV and food insecurity were first identified via existing literature, grouped into domains and collated in a framework. This was further reviewed through stakeholder engagements. Multiple administrative and spatial datasets were acquired and reviewed for their usability to develop indicators. Secondary analyses (density, travel distance and time calculations, data aggregation) were undertaken in R (v.4.5.0) to develop indicators for lower-layer super output areas (LSOAs, census-based areas, mean population=1500 people) in LCRCA (n = 1003). The indicator scores were categorised in quintiles (1=lowest to 5=highest risk). An interactive dashboard mapping these indicators was built via ‘leaflet’ in R.

Results

Forty-three indicators of access to FFV and food insecurity were identified. Of these, 33 indicators in three domains (food environment, social housing stock, socioeconomic barriers) were retained through stakeholder and data reviews. The dashboard showed that access to shops, community shops and food banks was lower in the outskirts of LCRCA. LSOAs near Liverpool city-centre had higher rates of social housing, unemployment, disability and lone parent families indicating higher food insecurity risk and need for targeted interventions.

Conclusions

Our novel dashboard of small-area indicators of access to FFV and food insecurity in LCRCA helps support targeted policy planning to improve food security in social housing tenants.

Key messages

• This study involved developing a tool to map the risk factors for access to fruit and vegetables and food insecurity amongst social housing tenants living across small areas within Liverpool, England.

• This tool identifies small areas with lower access to fruit and vegetables and greater socioeconomic barriers to support targeted policy planning to tackle food insecurity in social housing tenants.