Estimating the direct and indirect risks of becoming food insecure during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional analysis using UK cohort data

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic and associated UK containment measures implemented to reduce viral spread are likely to influence the prevalence of food insecurity. Food insecurity is associated with wide-ranging negative effects on health and wellbeing. Specific containment measures such as closure of schools and hospitality venues might be expected to disproportionately affect some vulnerable groups, including single parents and young people. We aimed to identify sociodemographic and economic factors that increase the likelihood of reporting food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to explore the extent to which financial vulnerability and experiencing COVID-19 symptoms explain the likelihood of becoming food insecure. METHODS: This analysis used cross-sectional cohort data from April, July, and September, 2020, of the UK Understanding Society COVID-19 Survey, which involved approximately 17 000 households. Food insecurity was defined as reporting positively to either or both of: “being hungry and not able to eat” or “inability to access sufficient and nutritious food because of lack of money or other resources”. Logistic regression was used to identify sociodemographic and economic factors associated with increased risk of food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic. A decomposition approach was used to explore the extent to which these associations were explained by financial vulnerability, or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Ethics approval for the study was not required. FINDINGS: Single parents and young people aged 16–30 years were at highest risk of reporting either or both measures of food insecurity. For single parents, financial vulnerability explained 5–20% of the likelihood of being food insecure, and experiencing COVID-19 symptoms explained less than 5%. For young people, financial vulnerability explained 5–25% of the likelihood of being food insecure, and experiencing COVID-19 symptoms explained 5–30%. INTERPRETATION: Single parents and young people may be especially at risk of food insecurity in the context of COVID-19. The wide explanatory ranges identified could be attributable to heterogeneity within groups and differing eligibility for financial support. Targeted funding, including for those self-isolating, could be an effective strategy to avoid or mitigate food insecurity among such vulnerable groups in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic and other future pandemics. FUNDING: None.