Table 3

Impact of total LA 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 sample0.006 (–0.002 to 0.014) p=0.154−0.078 (–0.152 to –0.056) p<0.0010.017 (0.008 to 0.026) p<0.001
Adjusted model*
 Full Sample0.007 (–0.002 to 0.015) p=0.110−0.071 (–0.093 to –0.050) p<0.0010.015 (0.006 to 0.024) p=0.001
Adjusted model stratified by IMD†
 1 (most deprived)−0.003 (–0.022 to 0.015) p=0.735−0.072 (–0.113 to –0.033) p=0.0010.025 (–0.000 to 0.049) p=0.050
 20.020 (–0.001 to 0.041) p=0.059−0.088 (–0.126 to –0.040) p=0.0010.021 (0.002 to 0.040) p=0.028
 3−0.006 (–0.020 to 0.009) p=0.448−0.024 (–0.079 to 0.021) p=0.2910.003 (–0.014 to 0.015) p=0.972
 40.006 (–0.012 to 0.023) p=0.528−0.053 (–0.102 to –0.004) p=0.0340.012 (–0.007 to 0.031) p=0.200
 5 (least deprived)−0.006 (–0.017 to 0.005) p=0.250−0.048 (–0.097 to 0.001) p=0.0540.022 (0.008 to 0.035) p=0.002
Adjusted model stratified by rural/urban area
 Predominantly Urban0.002 (–0.010 to 0.013) p=0.788−0.080 (–0.107 to –0.052) p<0.0010.024 (0.011 to 0.036) p<0.001
 Urban with significant rural0.005 (–0.007 to 0.015) p=0.4160.005 (–0.028 to 0.039) p=0.7460.003 (–0.009 to 0.014) p=0.630
 Predominantly rural0.004 (–0.005 to 0.014) p=0.354−0.030 (–0.056 to –0.004) p=0.026−0.006 (–0.018 to 0.006) p=0.320
Adjusted model stratified by level of reductions in working age benefits‡
 Lowest quartile (<£321.5)0.001 (–0.015 to 0.018) p=0.885−0.035 (–0.082 to 0.012) p=0.1420.016 (0.001 to 0.031) p=0.037
 Second quartile
 (£321.5–£403)
0.001 (–0.012 to 0.013) p=0.891−0.047 (–0.085 to –0.010) p=0.0140.011 (–0.004 to 0.025) p=0.161
 Third quartile
 (£403–£479)
−0.005 (–0.022 to 0.012) p=0.572−0.079 (–0.119 to –0.039) p<0.0010.020 (0.002 to 0.039) p=0.032
 Highest quartile (>£479)0.008 (–0.009 to 0.025) p=0.369−0.075 (–0.116 to –0.034) p<0.0010.028 (0.009 to 0.047) p=0.005
  • 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 and unemployment rate.

  • †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.