Characterizing the food environment in Scotland and its association with deprivation: A national study
Kapoor, D., Kennedy, J., Shields, K. , Reynolds, C. 
ORCID: 0000-0002-1073-7394, Clemens, T. & Jaacks, L. M. (2025).
Characterizing the food environment in Scotland and its association with deprivation: A national study.
Preventive Medicine Reports, 59,
article number 103254.
doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2025.103254
Abstract
Objectives
To characterize food outlets across Scotland and analyze their distribution by neighborhood deprivation.
Methods
Data from the Food Standards Agency of all registered food businesses in 2024 were categorized as out-of-home (OOH) [including restaurants, pubs, cafés, and takeaways], retail [supermarkets and non-food retailers like pharmacies with limited food items] or other [mobile caterers, charity organizations, and home caterers]. Neighborhood deprivation was quantified using the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation.
Results
Of all food outlets, 59 % (n = 18,409) were OOH, 28 % (n = 8757) retail, and 13 % (n = 3969) other. The density of OOH (1.9 per km2) was more than double that of retail (0.8 per km2). Glasgow City had the highest OOH outlet density (18.5 per km2). Argyll and Bute, Western Isles, and Highlands had the lowest density of both OOH and retail (≤0.03 per km2). Compared to the most deprived neighborhoods, the least deprived neighborhoods had more Restaurants/cafés/canteens (37 % versus 23 % of food outlets, respectively) and fewer Takeaways/sandwich shops (16 % versus 24 % of food outlets, respectively).
Conclusion
Though OOH outlets far outnumber retail in all of Scotland, unique food environments exist in different local authorities. These insights can inform local development and support targeted strategies to improve food environments.
| Publication Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
| Publisher Keywords: | Food environment, Area deprivation, UK, Supermarket, Takeaway, Fast food, Out of home, Retail |
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor H Social Sciences > HM Sociology H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine |
| Departments: | School of Health & Medical Sciences School of Health & Medical Sciences > Department of Population Health & Policy > Food Policy |
| SWORD Depositor: |
Available under License Creative Commons: Attribution International Public License 4.0.
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