Oral Presentation ANZOS Annual Scientific Meeting 2021

Lifting the silence on lived experiences with food and low incomes during COVID-19 (#91)

Christina Zorbas 1 , Jennifer Browne 1 , Alexandra Chung 2 , Anna Peeters 3 , Sue Booth 4 , Christina Pollard 5 , Steve Allender 1 , Corinna Hawkes 6 , Anna Isaacs 6 , Kathryn Backholer 1
  1. Global Obesity Centre, Institute for Health Transformation, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
  2. School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  3. Institute for Health Transformation, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
  4. College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
  5. School of Population Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
  6. Centre for Food Policy, School of Health Sciences, Division of Health Services Research and Management, City, University of London, London, United Kingdom

Objective: Little empirical evidence exists to support our understanding of how policies that address the social determinants of health (i.e. income, housing, jobs, education) can improve diet-related health and reduce obesity among households receiving low incomes. We aimed to explore low-income household’s lived experiences with food in the context of the novel COVID-19 social policy changes that took place in Australia.

Methods: During November – December 2020, we conducted in-depth interviews with 24 Victorians who were receiving government coronavirus income support (an income change in 2020). Interviews were guided by a theoretical understanding of the social determinants of health and inequities – which we aligned to the social protection policy context at the time. The phone/video interviews lasted up to one hour. Data were audio-recorded, transcribed, inductively coded, categorised and thematically analysed.

Results: Our sample predominantly consisted of women (80%) who were single parents (46%) receiving additional coronavirus Parenting Payments, JobSeeker or JobKeeper. Four key themes emerged. Firstly, participants described how living paycheque to paycheque was inflexible and the ‘battles all around them’ continued to make healthy eating and diet-related health difficult to prioritise during the pandemic. Secondly, housing, income, job and education opportunities were perceived to heavily constrain budget allocations for food and healthful eating (even with COVID-19 income increases). Thirdly, despite their best efforts to eat healthily, families continued to purchase the cheapest and most affordable options (less healthful foods that are constantly price discount promoted). Finally, they perceived the policy rhetoric around income support schemes and healthful eating inaccurate and shaming – often misrepresenting their lived experiences.

Conclusions: Policymakers should create opportunities to include the voices of populations that experience social and economic exclusion in decision-making processes. This is important to promote the adoption of food and social policies that can reduce inequities in diet-related health.