Abstract
The links between housing type (especially apartment living), kitchen conditions and food practices have rarely been examined internationally. Building industry representatives suggest there is a deliberate push to design apartments with smaller kitchens on the assumption people are not going to cook as often.1 When food prepared at home is replaced by ready to eat takeaway meals, negative implications for diet and health are expected.2 The link between housing condition and food practices is likely to disproportionately impact those with a lower socioeconomic status (SES), especially in urban areas. Lower SES families often live in smaller sized and lower quality housing (with lower quality kitchens) due to housing affordability. Many diet-related diseases are more often observed amongst those with a lower SES and housing condition may further amplify these disparities.3 Additionally, the potential loss of food skills has major implications for children and adolescents in the household as they miss out on the opportunity to learn these skills prior to living independently. Finally, the avoidance of purchasing fresh foods for preparation of meals at home has consequences for local fresh food retailers. A lack of demand can lead to local food environments where fresh food retailers are replaced by takeaway vendors. This project aims to understand the interrelations between housing type, kitchen conditions, and local food environments to identify opportunities within the food and retail industry to help facilitate healthier food practices, especially amongst those with a lower SES.
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