“ A Lot of People Are Struggling Privately. They Don’t Know Where to Go or They’re Not Sure of What to Do ”: Frontline Service Provider Perspectives of the Nature of Household Food Insecurity in Scotland

Flora Douglas, Fiona MacKenzie, Ourega-Zoé Ejebu, Stephen Whybrow, Ada L. Garcia, Lynda McKenzie, Anne Ludbrook and Elizabeth Dowler
Additional contact information
Flora Douglas: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen AB10 7QG, Scotland
Fiona MacKenzie: Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, Scotland
Ourega-Zoé Ejebu: Health Economics Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, Scotland
Stephen Whybrow: The Rowett Institute, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, Scotland
Ada L. Garcia: Human Nutrition, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G31 2ER, Scotland
Lynda McKenzie: Health Economics Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, Scotland
Anne Ludbrook: Health Economics Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, Scotland
Elizabeth Dowler: Emeritus Professor of Food & Social Policy, Department Sociology, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 12, 1-22

Abstract: This qualitative study explored frontline service providers’ perceptions of the nature of food insecurity in Scotland in 2015 to inform national policy and the provision of locally-based support for ‘at risk’ groups. A country-wide in-depth interview study was undertaken with informants from 25 health, social care, and third sector organisations. The study investigated informants’ perspectives associated with how food insecurity was manifesting itself locally, and what was happening at the local level in response to the existence of food insecurity. Data analysis revealed three key themes. First, the multiple faces and factors of food insecurity involving not only increased concern for previously recognised ‘at risk of food insecurity’ groups, but also similar concern held about newly food insecure groups including working families, young people and women. Secondly, respondents witnessed stoicism and struggle , but also resistance amongst some food insecure individuals to external offers of help. The final theme identified community participation yet pessimism associated with addressing current and future needs of food insecure groups. These findings have important implications for the design and delivery of health and social policy in Scotland and other countries facing similar challenges.

Keywords: household food insecurity; food poverty; Scotland; low income; families; children; women; older people; qualitative (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/12/2738/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/12/2738/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:12:p:2738-:d:187918

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().