BackgroundFood poverty (inability to afford or access a healthy diet) is a public health emergency, manifesting as a short-term dilemma of accessing food alongside longer-term effects of relying on poor nutritional quality foods to satiate hunger and worrying about food running out because of lack of money. The study aimed to predict what factors might predispose people to this condition by enquiring about respondents’ food poverty experiences. MethodsWe did an online survey (from September to November, 2018) to measure food poverty experiences alongside demographics and self-reported health evaluation in the UK (n=944 respondents). We used a snowball sampling technique, and the researchers and stakeholders promoted the survey by acting as gatekeepers on social media. Complementary paper surveys provided remote access to the research. Inclusion criteria required respondents be the primary householder or main earner (and be aged 18 years or older). We did a binary logistic regression analysis to test if age (18–25, 26–35, 36–45, 46–55, 56–65, ≥66 years old), gender (male, female, other), location (urban, rural), household size, number of children (<18 years old), income (<£10 000, £10 000–19 999,….£100 000–150 000, ≥£150 000), home ownership status (owned, rented), employment (unemployed, employed), education, and self-reported health status predicted worry about running out of food in the past 12 months (Food and Agriculture Organization's Food Insecurity Experience Scale). Ethics approval was granted, and participants gave implied informed consent. FindingsUnweighted case summaries indicated slightly more male respondents (51·8%), and one in five (21·3%) respondents were economically inactive. 8% had a total annual household income of less than £10 000. One in 14 (7·4%) self-reported poor health status. Two-fifths (41·9%) had children living at home. Importantly, 24% of the sample worried about food running out. The model (χ2(10, N=944)=155·158, p<0·0001) significantly distinguished between households that were and were not food poor. Respondents who self-reported poorer health status were more likely to be in food-poor households (odds ratio [OR]=2·10, 95% CI 1·61–2·72; p<0·0001) as were those who had more children (1·52, 1·20–1·93; p=0·001); but food poverty was less likely to be reported in respondents who were older (0·73, 0·58–0·92; p=0·007), in those who owned their property (0·45, 0·25–0·81; p=0·008), and in those who had higher household incomes (0·74, 0·62–0·88; p=0·001). The associations between food poverty and the remaining variables were not significant. InterpretationPersonal and household circumstances can predict food poverty. Given future public health consequences, these predictors could usefully inform targeted interventions for risk profiling vulnerable citizens. FundingUlster University Civic Impact Research Fund.