Trends in food poverty and linkages to health in Northern Ireland

Background

Food poverty is a major public and policy issue. Moreover, food poverty has a significant impact on health and wellbeing. A range of data sources are available that can yield important insights into areas at greatest risk across regional scales.

Aims and key questions

This project aims to produce a food poverty risk index for Northern Ireland. This will be used to investigate links between food poverty and Type 2 diabetes, and to answer the following questions:

1. What types of areas experience the greatest risk of food poverty?
2. Have at-risk areas changed or persisted over time?
3. What groups of people experience greater exposure to food poverty?
4. Is there a relationship between food poverty and Type 2 diabetes in Northern Ireland?
5. What interventions could be most effective at reducing the risk of food poverty?

The data

A food poverty risk index (FPRI) will be created that covers approximately 400 people and 155 households in Northern Ireland. The FPRI will be developed from various datasets and sources of information including:

• NI Business Services Organisation Honest Broker Service – Enhanced Prescribing Database (EPD)

• Area-based deprivation data - The NI Multiple Deprivation Measure 2017 (NIMDM)

These variables will be used to validate a food poverty risk index and explore spatial variations in Type 2 Diabetes across Northern Ireland. 

The potential

This study has the potential to provide insights into the variations and impact of food poverty risk for households in Northern Ireland. It will provide an evidence-based rationale for policy and applied interventions.

Project details

Project lead: Dr Paul McKenzie

Duration: Due for completion by 2026

Contact: ADRC NI office

Funding: This project is funded by ADR Northern Ireland via its core grant from the Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC) as an ADR UK partner.