Are those in greatest need receiving diet-related support from diet-related interventions within the Better Start Bradford area?

Diet quality is a term used to describe an overview of an individual’s overall food and drink intake (Peterson & Kris-Etherton, 2021). Research has identified those who are food insecure have been found to have low diet quality (e.g., eating fewer fruits and vegetables) than those who are food secure (Kent et al., 2024).

Literature has found that adults’ diet quality can vary by demographic and socio-economic factors, for example, individuals with a higher level of occupation have been found to have a more improved diet quality (over time) compared to those with a lower level of occupation (Mishra et al., 2006). In pregnancy, women who are younger, less educated and less affluent are more at risk of having a diet of lower quality (Doyle et al., 2017). However, it has been found that being part of a diet-focused intervention can improve the diet quality of parents’ (Bridge et al., 2019) and children’s diets (Rosario et al., 2016; Cohen et al., 2013), with varying changes being identified: for example, increased fruit and vegetable consumption and reduced sodium (salt) consumption.