zorbas-costingrecommended-inpress-2021.pdf (708.69 kB)
Costing recommended (healthy) and current (unhealthy) diets in urban and inner regional areas of Australia using remote price collection methods
journal contribution
posted on 2022-03-21, 00:00 authored by Christina ZorbasChristina Zorbas, Ruby Brooks, Rebecca Bennett, Amanda Lee, Josephine MarshallJosephine Marshall, Shaan NaughtonShaan Naughton, Meron Lewis, Anna PeetersAnna Peeters, Kathryn BackholerKathryn BackholerAbstract
t
t Objective:
t To compare the cost and affordability of two fortnightly diets (representing the national guidelines and current consumption) across areas containing Australia’s major supermarkets.
t
t
t Design:
t The Healthy Diets Australian Standardised Affordability and Pricing protocol was used.
t
t
t Setting:
t Price data were collected online and via phone calls in 51 urban and inner regional locations across Australia.
t
t
t Participants:
t N/A.
t
t
t Results:
t Healthy diets were consistently less expensive than current (unhealthy) diets. Nonetheless, healthy diets would cost 25-26% of the disposable income for low-income households and 30-31% of the poverty line. Differences in gross incomes (the most available income metric which overrepresents disposable income) drove national variations in diet affordability (from 14% of the median gross household incomes in the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory, to 25% of the median gross household income in Tasmania).
t
t
t Conclusions:
t In Australian cities and regional areas with major supermarkets, access to affordable diets remain problematic for families receiving low incomes. These findings are likely to be exacerbated in outer regional and remote areas (not included in this study). To make healthy diets economically appealing, policies that reduce the (absolute and relative) costs of healthy diets and increase the incomes of Australians living in poverty are required.
t
t
t Objective:
t To compare the cost and affordability of two fortnightly diets (representing the national guidelines and current consumption) across areas containing Australia’s major supermarkets.
t
t
t Design:
t The Healthy Diets Australian Standardised Affordability and Pricing protocol was used.
t
t
t Setting:
t Price data were collected online and via phone calls in 51 urban and inner regional locations across Australia.
t
t
t Participants:
t N/A.
t
t
t Results:
t Healthy diets were consistently less expensive than current (unhealthy) diets. Nonetheless, healthy diets would cost 25-26% of the disposable income for low-income households and 30-31% of the poverty line. Differences in gross incomes (the most available income metric which overrepresents disposable income) drove national variations in diet affordability (from 14% of the median gross household incomes in the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory, to 25% of the median gross household income in Tasmania).
t
t
t Conclusions:
t In Australian cities and regional areas with major supermarkets, access to affordable diets remain problematic for families receiving low incomes. These findings are likely to be exacerbated in outer regional and remote areas (not included in this study). To make healthy diets economically appealing, policies that reduce the (absolute and relative) costs of healthy diets and increase the incomes of Australians living in poverty are required.
t
History
Journal
Public Health NutritionPagination
1 - 10Publisher
Cambridge University PressLocation
Cambridge, Eng.Publisher DOI
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ISSN
1368-9800eISSN
1475-2727Language
engNotes
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C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalUsage metrics
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