The promotion of healthy eating: food availability and choice in Scottish island communities.

Abstract

Communities in rural areas are in receipt of health education messages on healthy eating aimed at the population. These messages are invariably composed without regard to where people reside, and, in particular, to the availability of, and access to, foodstuffs in rural areas. In this paper the authors present data derived from a participative health needs assessment on the topic of food, diet and health. The research was conducted in a number of islands of the Western Isles of Scotland and comprised seven focus groups, 33 semi-structured interviews, one community and one policy workshop, and a final community feedback session. The needs assessment demonstrated a dichotomy between local experiences of food availability, island food cultures and the contents of healthy eating advice. As a result of the research, local people and health care professionals developed a range of activities on the topic of the traditional island diet. People noted the potentially positive elements of this diet for health but also the possibility of promoting social cohesion through the consideration of food and diet histories. In addition, lobbying at a national level was also identified as necessary to the development of a 'healthy food policy'.