Exploring the lived experience of economic insecurity and health among people accessing charity-run food provision services in Bristol, UK

The UK has experienced alarming increases in the number of individuals living with food insecurity as a result of the rise in cost of living. The mechanisms linking household economic insecurity to food insecurity, and perceived health outcomes, are not well understood. The aim of this study was to explore how individuals with lived experience of food insecurity are coping with the rise in cost of living, the trade-offs they might be making between food and other household expenses, and how these might impact eating behaviours and health outcomes. Using a qualitative inductive approach rooted in hermeneutic phenomenology, nine semi-structured interviews were conducted among individuals using charity-run food provision services in Bristol, UK. Narrative accounts from these interviews were analysed thematically. Almost all participants were recipients of benefits at the time of interviews and were living under high levels of economic insecurity. The rise in cost of living forced complex budget management strategies, including relying on donated food and shoplifting. It also influenced eating behaviours through altered cooking strategies to save energy, substituting food for cheaper, less-nutritious, alternatives, and rationing meals. Food insecurity was experienced as a form of psychosocial violence, engendering high levels of stress, particularly for individuals with diet-related chronic diseases. There is therefore an urgent need for policies that tackle structural causes of overall household economic insecurity, and improve economic access to adequate nutritious foods, to prevent further entrenching social inequalities.