What is the International Food Policy Study?
Food is important to our health and well-being. Eating patterns have changed over the past 50 years, including where we get our food, the types of food that we eat, and the settings in which we eat our food.
The International Food Policy Study consists of national surveys conducted annually to evaluate the impact of national-level food policies. Surveys are being conducted in each of five countries—Australia, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States—to examine dietary patterns and policy-relevant behaviours across countries. Surveys are conducted among adults and youth (aged 10-17) in each of these countries, with additional youth surveys in Chile. The study will provide a quasi-experimental design for evaluating federal-level policies by providing both ‘within’ and ‘between-country’ measures over time.
Study participants are surveyed annually, beginning in 2017.
How Will the Study Findings Be uSed?
The study will help us understand differences in dietary intake between countries, including how food policies influence dietary behaviour. For example, will changes in food labelling or industry marketing practices affect our diet quality?
WHO IS RUNNING THE STUDY?
The study is a collaboration of more than a dozen researchers from Australia, Canada, Chile, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The research team includes international experts in the area of diet and nutrition from Deakin University (Australia), Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (Mexico), Universidad de Chile (Chile), University of Cambridge (UK), University of Pennsylvania (USA), University of South Carolina (USA), Université Laval (Canada), University of Ottawa (Canada), University of Waterloo (Canada) and York University (Canada). Professor David Hammond is the Principal Investigator on the study, and the University of Waterloo is taking the lead on data collection.
Please see the Researchers tab for more information on the team.
IS THE STUDY ASSOCIATED WITH FOOD COMPANIES OR COMMERCIAL INTERESTS?
No. The study is not associated with the food industry or commercial interests. We believe that research should be independent and free from conflicts of interest.
STUDY FUNDING
Funding for this project was provided by a Population Health Intervention Research operating grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Additional funding for this project has been provided by a PHAC – CIHR Chair in Applied Public Health.
