Prevalence of smoking and food security among food bank users
Brief description:
Around 1.3 to 1.65 million people receive food from one of the more than 940 food banks in Germany every month. Food bank users are a heterogeneous, highly vulnerable population group in terms of education level, age, type of household income and marital status, characterized by low income and an unacceptably high prevalence of smoking and food insecurity - both of which are associated with a high risk of chronic illness.
However, the high risks of smoking and food insecurity among food bank users are probably not independent risks. Studies conducted to date consistently report a statistically significant correlation between smoking behavior and food insecurity. Based on international studies and studies conducted in the field, it seems plausible that food security can be improved for food bank users by smoking cessation.
In order to meet the needs of food bank users for effective smoking cessation interventions and to improve food security, a cluster-randomized controlled pilot intervention study on smoking cessation is planned in Berlin in cooperation with the Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics at Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Berliner Tafel e.V.. Before the start of the main study, the smoking cessation program will be adapted to the needs of the target group in a target group participatory process.The primary objectives of the study are to reduce smoking prevalence and improve food security among food bank users. It will also investigate whether the reduction in food insecurity is mediated by the reduction in smoking prevalence.
Duration of the study:
01.01.2020 - 30.06.2022
Project team:
Prof. Nanette Ströbele-Benschop, PhD
