Reassessing Food Insecurity in Melbourne's Outer East
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Edited by: Sheridan Clugston, Accredited Practicing Dietitian Deborah Cocks, Outer East Primary Care Partnership © 2013 Written by: Sheridan Clugston, Elisa Rossimel Monash University, 2011 With support from: Michelle Fleming, Yarra Valley Community Health Claire Palermo, Monash University Contact: Deborah Cocks – [email protected] PAGE 2 Reassessing Food Insecurity in Melbourne’s Outer East Contents Executive Summary 5 1. Background 7 1.1 Food Insecurity 8 1.2 Food Insecurity in the Outer East 8 1.3 Trends in Australian Household Expenditures 9 1.4 The Cost of Healthy Eating – Fruit, Vegetables and Food Insecurity 11 1.5 Community Interventions to Food Insecurity 12 1.6 Smoking and Alcohol Linked with Food Insecurity 14 1.7 Food Security, the Agri-food System and the Outer East 15 1.8 The Importance of Strong Local Data 17 2. Methodology 19 2.1 Victorian Healthy Food Basket Survey 20 2.2 Modifi ed Victorian Healthy Food Basket Survey for Green Grocers 20 2.3 Mapping - Listing Food Retailers and Community Interventions Targeting Food Insecurity. 20 2.4 Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas 21 2.5 Statistical analysis 21 3. Results 23 3.1 Victorian Healthy Food Basket Survey 24 3.2 Fruit and Vegetables 29 3.3 Community Interventions Targeting Food Insecurity 30 3.4 Changes in the Number of Food Premises 34 3.5 Tobacco and Alcohol 36 4. Discussion 37 4.1 Victorian Healthy Food Basket Survey 38 4.2 Fruit and Vegetables 38 4.3 Community interventions 39 4.4 Changes in the Number of Food Premises 40 4.5 Changes in the Cost of Food Groups 41 4.6 Tobacco & Alcohol 41 4.7 Strengths of the Methodology 41 4.8 Weaknesses of the Methodology 42 Reassessing Food Insecurity in Melbourne’s Outer East PAGE 3 Contents [continued] 5. Conclusion 43 6. Implications & Recommendations 45 7. References 47 8. Appendices 51 Appendix 1: Victorian Healthy Food Basket Template. 52 Appendix 2: Modifi ed Victorian Healthy Food Basket Template (Fruit and Vegetable Survey). 54 Appendix 3: Food Premises Lists. 55 Appendix 4: Community Interventions – Location and Services Offered. 98 Appendix 5: List of Alcohol Outlets 102 PAGE 4 Reassessing Food Insecurity in Melbourne’s Outer East Executive Summary In 2011, the Nourish network,twork, a publicpublic healthhealth networknetwork comprising partners of tthehe OOuteruter East Health and Community Support Alliance,iance, commissioned a research project to follow their 2008008 research in the OOuteruter East (1). This research involveded mapping the physical accesaccesss and economic costs of an affordable, appropriateappropriate and nutritious food supply. RRegularegular research and monitorinmonitoringg are recognised as evidencedenced based stratestrategiesgies in improving food securityy anandd revearevealingling trentrendsds over ttimeime (2). Nourish recognises their role in maintaininmaintainingg research and monitoring to supportort the collection of strong local data (3). Reassessing Food Insecurity in Melbourne’s Outer East PAGE 5 Executive Summary [continued] Food insecurity has signifi cant health consequences on Key fi ndings from the data collected showed that in 2011: mental and physical wellbeing (4, 5, 6). An individual is affected by food insecurity when they cannot consistently The proportion of Centrelink income required to obtain food that is safe, nutritionally adequate, and purchase a VHFB had signifi cantly decreased since culturally acceptable from non-emergency sources (4, 5). 2008 for two out of four family types (“typical” and single parent families). This 2011 report was undertaken to provide updated Vegetables had signifi cantly decreased in price since local data regarding food access, a determinant of food 2008 by a median $2.31. Non-core and unhealthy food insecurity, in the Outer East, and compare fi ndings to 2008 items had signifi cantly increased in price by $1.21 and data. $0.60 respectively. Three key methods were utilised to monitor food access in There was no signifi cant food price difference between the Outer East: suburbs of differing Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) percentiles. The Victorian Healthy Food Basket (VHFB) tool was The mean price of fruit and vegetables from green used to survey food prices in supermarkets (7). All grocers was signifi cantly less expensive compared to 70 supermarkets identifi ed in the Outer East were supermarket prices: $32.25 compared to $37.26. surveyed. The number of food premises identifi ed had increased A modifi ed VHFB survey was conducted in green since 2008 for all premise types except green grocers grocers to collect pricing information on fruit and and butchers. vegetables. Thirty four out of 37 green grocers Regarding alcohol and tobacco outlets, no signifi cant identifi ed (92%) were surveyed. association was found between the number of outlets Mapping - Lists were compiled on the numbers and per suburb and the suburb’s SEIFA percentile. locations of food premises, community interventions There was no signifi cant association between the targeting food insecurity, tobacco outlets and alcohol number of community interventions in a suburb and outlets. This was undertaken using local government the suburb’s SEIFA percentile. databases and online search engines. The locations of community interventions were also physically mapped. Physical mapping revealed an uneven spread of community interventions across Outer East municipalities. Recommendations from this research include: Dissemination of project fi ndings to key stakeholders Physical mapping of food premises from compiled lists Improved targeting of community interventions Continued monitoring of food insecurity determinants in the Outer East. PAGE 6 Reassessing Food Insecurity in Melbourne’s Outer East Background Exploring Food Insecurity in the Outer East 1. Food insecurity is primarily determined by a person’s ability to access and use available food (8, 9). Being food insecure can have multiple health consequences (4, 5, 6). This is of particular concern in Melbourne’s Outer East as 2008 data revealed that two of its municipalities, Knox and the Yarra Ranges, had a higher prevalence of food insecurity than the Victorian State average (10). Best practice for this issue indicates the regular collection of local data on the factors affecting food insecurity and reporting of fi ndings to key community stakeholders (2). Such factors include food prices and availability which can be monitored using the Victorian Healthy Food Basket (VHFB) tool (7). Other factors of interest include local community interventions, the presence of tobacco and alcohol outlets, and the local agri-food system. Reassessing Food Insecurity in Melbourne’s Outer East PAGE 7 1. Background [continued] 1.1 Food Insecurity Food insecurity can increase the risk of a person developing the following diseases (4, 5, 6): Food insecurity has received increased consideration worldwide as a result of worsening economic Unintentional weight loss conditions, climate change, population growth, and Osteomalacia the internationalisation of the food system (4, 5). An individual is affected by food insecurity when they cannot Compromised immunity consistently obtain safe, nutritionally adequate, culturally Mental health disorders acceptable food from non-emergency sources (5). Food Obesity insecurity is characterised by being involuntary and Type II diabetes episodic (4). There are three major determinants: Cardiovascular disease Food availability – whether suffi cient quantities of Dental caries. food are consistently available (8). Food access – whether suffi cient resources exist for the procurement of food. Food access may be impaired by physical factors (disability, lack of 1.2 Food Insecurity in the transport, geographical remoteness) or economic factors (income, low socioeconomic status) (9). Outer East Food use – whether suffi cient nutrition knowledge, Melbourne’s Outer East in Victoria, Australia covers three water and sanitation exists for food to be utilised local government areas: the City of Knox, the City of appropriately (8). Maroondah and the Shire of the Yarra Ranges. In 2008, the Outer East Health and Community Support Alliance There are certain groups who are more vulnerable to food released a report describing the levels of food insecurity insecurity in Australia. These include (5): in the Outer East (1). The proportion of residents who Low incomes earners had experienced food insecurity within a twelve month period in the City of Maroondah, the City of Knox, and Single parents the Shire of the Yarra Ranges was 3.8%, 7.4%, and 7.0% Indigenous communities respectively. The Victorian State average was 6.0%, People with disabilities or chronic illnesses thus Knox and the Yarra Ranges experienced a greater Refugees prevalence of food insecurity than the majority of Victoria. People living in remote or isolated areas. These fi gures remain the most recent data available. Food insecurity has signifi cant health consequences. Results of the 2008 Victorian Population Health Survey are Adults have reported experiencing poor quality of life and summarised in graph 1 below (10). In comparison to the are at increased risk of being diagnosed with unintentional Victorian State average: weight loss, osteomalacia (softening of the bones), and There were greater proportions of smokers in Knox and compromised immunity (4). There is also an impact on the Yarra Ranges. mental wellbeing due to feelings of powerlessness and A higher proportion of residents were overweight or social exclusion (5). With decreased access to fresh