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Wiley InterScience | |||||||||||||
  Nutrition & DieteticsVolume 64 Issue 4, Pages 241 - 247 Published Online: 7 Nov 2007 Journal compilation © 2009 Dietitians Association of Australia
Abstract | References | Full Text: HTML, PDF (Size: 124K) | Related Articles | Citation Tracking  ORIGINAL RESEARCH Adelaide Healthy Food Basket: A survey on food cost, availability and affordability in five local government areas in metropolitan Adelaide, South Australia Copyright © 2007 The Authors; Journal compilation © 2007 Dietitians Association of Australia KEYWORDS food cost • food security • socioeconomic status • welfare payment Abstract
Aim: There is evidence that some people in Australia do not have access to affordable, healthy foods. Information on food accessibility and affordability is essential in pubic health nutrition to assist in policy making and determining areas of intervention. The aim of the present study assess and compare the cost, availability and affordability of a standardised healthy food basket (HFB) in five local government areas (LGAs) in metropolitan Adelaide. Methods: Five LGAs in metropolitan Adelaide were selected based on ranges of socioeconomic status (SES). A reference family was used as the basis for the costing a HFB. Prices of food items were collected in selected suburbs in May, August and September in 2005. Cost of the Adelaide HFB was compared with welfare payment and average weekly earnings (AWE). Results: Average weekly cost of Adelaide HFB was $245.63 for the 11 suburbs: lowest in Coolabah, in low SES City of Fordlow ($224.17), and highest in Banksia, in high SES City of Sidehigh ($271.87). The proportion of AWE taken up by the average HFB was 35%, while that of the welfare payments was 31%. Conclusion: The study showed that the cost of HFB was lower in low-SES suburbs. Items in the HFB were found in most supermarkets surveyed; therefore, availability of healthy food at this geographical level is not a concern. However, the study highlighted the proportionately high costs of a healthy diet for families on welfare or on a single income based on AWE, which needs to be considered in programs encouraging healthy food choices. Accepted April 2007 | 
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