Table 4

Impact of highways and transport spending on food purchasing

Fruit and vegetablesHFSS foodsTakeaways
Purchasing as a percentage of total food and drink purchasing (%)Purchasing as a percentage of total food and drink purchasing (%)Purchasing as a percentage of total food and drink purchasing (%)
Unadjusted model
 Full sample−0.006 (−0.009 to –0.002) p=0.002−0.011 (−0.020 to –0.002) p=0.0170.006 (0.002 to 0.011) p=0.003
Adjusted model*
 Full sample−0.006 (−0.009 to –0.002) p=0.002−0.005 (−0.013 to 0.003) p=0.2230.006 (0.001 to 0.010) p=0.010
Adjusted model stratified by IMD†
 1 (most deprived)−0.009 (−0.019 to 0.001) p=0.057−0.007 (−0.025 to 0.011) p=0.4420.010 (−0.001 to 0.022) p=0.078
 2−0.004 (−0.011 to 0.002) p=0.193−0.002 (−0.017 to 0.013) p=0.8000.007 (−0.004 to 0.017) p=0.183
 3−0.002 (−0.009 to 0.005) p=0.5990.005 (−0.013 to 0.024) p=0.5610.002 (−0.006. 0.010) p=0.566
 4−0.003 (−0.009 to 0.004) p=0.4130.006 (−0.012 to 0.023) p=0.5150.004 (−0.004 to 0.012) p=0.362
 5 (least deprived)−0.005 (−0.012 to 0.003) p=0.255−0.007 (−0.030 to 0.015) p=0.5200.001 (−0.006 to 0.008) p=0.845
Adjusted model stratified by rural/urban area
 Predominantly urban−0.007 (−0.012 to –0.001) p=0.013−0.008 (−0.020 to 0.004) p=0.2110.007 (0.001 to 0.014) p=0.024
 Urban with significant rural0.002 (−0.006 to 0.009) p=0.688−0.006 (−0.025 to 0.014) p=0.556−0.003 (−0.008 to 0.003) p=0.421
 Predominantly rural−0.002 (−0.006 to 0.002) p=0.2610.006 (−0.005 to 0.018) p=0.295−0.001 (−0.006 to 0.009) p=0.658
Adjusted model stratified by level of reductions in working age benefits‡
 Lowest quartile (<£321.5)−0.006 (−0.014 to 0.003) p=0.1970.006 (−0.018 to 0.029) p=0.6190.001 (−0.006 to 0.009) p=0.704
 Second quartile
 (£321.5−£403)
−0.004 (−0.009 to 0.001) p=0.0880.006 (−0.006 to 0.019) p=0.3270.003 (−0.004 to 0.010) p=0.357
 Third quartile
 (£403−£479)
−0.007 (−0.015 to 0.001) p=0.066−0.025 (−0.031 to 0.002) p=0.0800.011 (0.002 to 0.021) p=0.023
 Highest quartile (>£479)−0.005 (−0.011 to 0.002) p=0.181−0.002 (−0.018 to 0.013) p=0.7620.006 (−0.003 to 0.015) p=0.180
  • The coefficients represent the percentage point change in purchasing with a 10% decrease in LA service spending (95% CIs in brackets).

  • *Model adjusted for GDHI, unemployment rate and LA expenditure on other services.

  • †IMD represents relative deprivation of LAs, categorised into quintiles.

  • ‡We stratified by quartiles of reductions in working age benefit by LA, using a dataset estimating the cumulative decreases in benefits for working age people due to welfare reforms between 2010 and 2015 for each LA.

  • GDHI, gross disposable household income; HFSS, high in fat, sugar and salt; IMD, Index of Multiple Deprivation; LA, local authority.