In its evaluation of Decent Food for All (DFfA) - a major project to improve community diet and health - IPH found that where people live and shop had a greater impact on their diet than their own individual awareness and attitudes.  Access Tackling Food Poverty: lessons from the Decent Food for All intervention here.

 

DFfA was funded by safefood (the Food Safety Promotion Board) and the Food Standards Agency Northern Ireland. The project lasted four years and included hundreds of community education activities designed to improve diet in poorer parts of Armagh and South Tyrone.

 

safefood commissioned IPH to undertake the evaluation of DFfA. Dr. Kevin Balanda, IPH Associate Director, said “The aim of the project was to reduce food poverty (this is defined as not being able to consume adequate healthy food) and improve health in the target communities. DFfA delivered over 370 core activities to 3,100 residents including local education talks on diet, cookery workshops, fresh fruit in schools, healthy food tastings and information stands. One in eight residents in the target areas participated in at least one of these activities.”

 

There was a good response to these activities with participants becoming more informed about what constitutes a healthy diet and how to cook more healthily. At the community level, there were also significant improvements in knowledge and attitudes, and the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables.

 

However, there was no increase in the percentage of residents who were physically active and no decrease in the percentage of residents who were obese/overweight.

 

The evaluation recommended that local actions such as those included in this project should be continued, but should be supported by wider policy initiatives so that healthy food could be more easily available and more affordable.

 

Dr Balanda said, “The project evaluation highlighted the need for a more comprehensive approach to support community education. Efforts to tackle food poverty and obesity must be linked to anti-poverty and social inclusion initiatives. In many poorer households, food expenditure is the only discretionary budget item, and as we confirmed in our study, it is often reduced to avoid debt or to pay other household bills.”

 

The evaluation found that over 1 in 5 adults in the target areas reported they had cut their weekly food spending in the last six months to pay other household bills such as rent, electricity and gas. During the four years of the DFfA activities, this percentage had not changed significantly. 

 

There were mixed changes in the nature of food in local stores. While the overall availability and price of food increased, both “healthier” food and “unhealthier” food were included in that increase. It was only in the larger “multiple/discount freezer” type of shops that the overall price of food had decreased.

 

The IPH evaluation concluded that community education was useful but that, on its own, was likely to have limited success in reducing food poverty or reducing obesity in the community. The research showed that wider market forces such as the type of food shops in an area, the type of food they stock and the price of this food have an over-riding impact on the community’s diet.

 

IPH recommended that approaches at national policy level are needed to address wider market place and environmental factors such as:

·        the contents of food products (such as salt and fat)

·         planning, including the locations and contents, of food stores

·         food marketing in the media (particularly aimed at children)

·         in-store promotional offers

·         clarity and consistency in food labelling.

 

The Southern Health and Social Care Trust (SHSCT), Older People and Primary Care Director, Dr Gillian Rankin, said: “SHSCT and Armagh and Dungannon Health Action Zone are delighted to have been part of this research to enable the whole issue of nutrition to be explored from a range of perspectives. The outcomes and recommendations will help us plan for the future in terms of what is essential to achieve maximum impact.”

The evaluation also highlighted the benefit of cross-border working which can result in greater knowledge and effectiveness in addressing these wider factors in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

 

The DFfA evaluation follows the recent publication of the Slán survey in the Republic of Ireland, which reported over consumption of foods high in fats and sugar. An earlier Slán report from April 2008 found 80% of men and 71% of women over 45 are obese.

 

Dr. Balanda stated that the Report of the National Taskforce on Obesity 2005 in the Republic of Ireland provided a blueprint of the types of national policy measures that can be taken to reduce obesity, he added that the DFfA evaluation highlighted the critical importance of a national policy led response to obesity.

 

Detailed reports from the study can be downloaded in full from the Institute’s website at www.publichealth.ie

 

Arlene McKay, IPH Communications Officer: +44 (0)28 90648494

Gráinne Walsh, Stratagem: 028 908 72800 or 0792 016 5600.

The Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH) was established to promote cooperation for public health across the island of Ireland. It aims to improve health by working to combat health inequalities and influence public policy in favour of health. Further information can be found at www.publichealth.ie.

 

The Armagh and Dungannon district council areas were designated a Health Action Zone (HAZ) by the Department of Health and Social Services in 1999. The aim of the HAZ is defined as "combining the efforts of all our agencies with the involvement of local people to measurably improve the health and wellbeing of all in the Armagh and Dungannon areas".

For further information about ADHAZ, please contact:
Jillian Cosgrove
Promoting Well-being Manager
Telephone: +44 (0)28 37 520558
Email: Jillian.Cosgrove@southerntrust.hscni.net
Website: http://www.adhaz.org.uk/