Feb 16, 2026

Public workspacePROTOCOL: Insights into processed food awareness and influences on their purchasing in People Living with Obesity and Food Insecurity

DOI
https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.6qpvry2mbgmk/v1
  • Hannah Greatwood1,
  • Thomas Sawczuk1,2,
  • Mark S Gilthorpe1,
  • Chris Till3,
  • Vasileios Michalopoulos4,
  • Victoria Jenneson5,
  • Emma Wilkins5,
  • Alexandra Johnstone6,
  • Charlotte Hardman7,
  • Adrian Brown8,
  • Claire Griffiths8
  • 1Obesity Institute, School of Sport, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, LS6 3QT, UK;
  • 2Carnegie Applied Rugby Research (CARR) Centre, Carnegie School of Sport, LBU, Leeds, UK;
  • 3Centre for Applied Social Research, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds UK;
  • 4Center for Clinical Research and Prevention, Copenhagen University Hospital, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark;
  • 5School of Food Science and Nutrition, Stead House, Willow Terrace Road, Leeds, UK;
  • 6Rowett Institute, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK;
  • 7Department of Psychology, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK;
  • 8Centre for Obesity Research, Rayne Building, University Street, University College London, London, UK
Hannah Greatwood
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DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.6qpvry2mbgmk/v1
Protocol Citation: Hannah Greatwood, Thomas Sawczuk, Mark S Gilthorpe, Chris Till, Vasileios Michalopoulos, Victoria Jenneson, Emma Wilkins, Alexandra Johnstone, Charlotte Hardman, Adrian Brown, Claire Griffiths 2026. PROTOCOL: Insights into processed food awareness and influences on their purchasing in People Living with Obesity and Food Insecurity. protocols.io https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.6qpvry2mbgmk/v1
License: This is an open access protocol distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License,  which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Protocol status: Working
We use this protocol and it's working
Created: February 16, 2026
Last Modified: February 16, 2026
Protocol Integer ID: 243358
Keywords: processed food purchasing behaviour, processed food consumption pattern, food consumption patterns in the uk context, processed food consumption, processed food awareness, food purchasing behaviour, food purchasing patterns in people, impact on food purchasing behaviour, consumer awareness of food processing, food purchasing pattern, food awareness, food security status, food consumption, food insecurity, food security assessment tool, validated food security assessment tool, processed food, future policy development for the food, consumer behaviour research methodology, understanding consumer awareness, food processing, examining consumer understanding, consumer understanding, food, including obesity, obesity, qualitative analysis, informing public health policy, purchasing in people, public health policy, statistical analysis
Funders Acknowledgements:
This research was funded through the Transforming the UK Food System for Healthy People and a Healthy Environment SPF Programme, delivered by UKRI, in partnership with the Global Food Security Programme, BBSRC, ESRC, MRC, NERC, Defra, DHSC, OHID, Innovate UK and FSA.
Disclaimer
MSG is a director of Causal Insights Solutions Ltd, which provides causal inference training and may benefit from any study that demonstrates the value of causal inference methods.  AMJ holds a voluntary Advisory Committee role with British Nutrition Foundation. CAH has received research funding from the American Beverage Association (paid to institution), personal honoraria from International Sweeteners Association and International Food Information Council, and is primary supervisor on a PhD studentship funded by Coca-Cola, all for work unrelated to the submitted manuscript. CAH reports personal fees for their role on the Food Standards Agency’s Advisory Committee on Social Sciences, and an unpaid role as a trustee of Feeding Liverpool. No other authors declare that they have any competing interests.
Abstract
**Introduction: There is growing evidence linking processed food consumption to adverse health outcomes, including obesity and associated cardiometabolic diseases and mental health and well-being. Understanding consumer awareness of food processing and its impact on food purchasing behaviours is crucial for informing public health policies and guidance. This study employs a comprehensive survey to assess three primary research objectives: (1) examining consumer understanding of processed food, (2) understanding processed food purchasing patterns in people living with obesity and food insecurity, and (3) identifying determinants of processed food purchasing behaviour. Methods and analysis: An online survey administered via the Prolific platform will be used for data collection. The survey (approximately 25 minutes) incorporates validated food security assessment tools and consumer behaviour research methodologies to provide insights into the complex relationships between food security status, health conditions, and processed food consumption patterns in the UK context. Study inclusion criteria include participants aged 18–64 years, residing in England or Scotland. A target of 600 participants will be set. A mixed-methods analysis will be used to present the findings. Statistical analyses will seek to adjust for selection and participation bias. Qualitative analyses will draw on thematic analysis. Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval will be obtained from Leeds Beckett University, UK. Anonymised study findings will be disseminated through scientific journals, conferences, institute websites and social media, and briefings tailored to policy, practice and the public, with the intention to inform future policy development for the food retail environment.
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Acknowledgements
This research was funded through the Transforming the UK Food System for Healthy People and a Healthy Environment SPF Programme, delivered by UKRI, in partnership with the Global Food Security Programme, BBSRC, ESRC, MRC, NERC, Defra, DHSC, OHID, Innovate UK and FSA.