Food insecurity and meal allowance among Finnish private sector service workers

Abstract Background Food insecurity (FI) is widespread among employees in certain sectors also in high-income countries like Finland, but the topic is understudied. We examined the determinants of FI among employees and whether employer-provided meal allowance would lower the probability of FI. Methods In 2022, 5,934 Finnish private sector service workers who were members of the Service Union United participated in a cross-sectional survey. An electronic questionnaire included assessments of FI with the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, sociodemographic characteristics, self-perceived health, and meal allowance. The associations were examined using logistic regression with a binary FI outcome. Results Of all participants 68% had experienced FI during the past month with 34% reporting severe FI. Among those working (80%), difficulty covering household expenses (vs. covering household expenses easily) markedly increased the odds of severe FI (OR 15.6; 95% CI 10.6, 23.6). Older age reduced the odds of severe FI (e.g., 30-44 y. vs. 16-29 y.: OR 0.4; 95% CI 0.3, 0.5). Greater number of children and poor self-perceived health also increased the probability of FI. Employers had offered meal allowance to only 32% of those who were working. Receiving meal allowance was not associated with severe FI vs. being food secure (adjusted OR 1.0; 95% CI 0.9, 1.2). Conclusions A third of the participants had experienced severe FI, highlighting serious public health concerns, as FI is linked to a greater risk of non-communicable diseases and higher healthcare costs. Meal allowance as such does not seem to alleviate FI among private sector service workers. Because difficulty covering household expenses was strongly associated with FI, our findings stress the urgent need for supporting employees’ economic circumstances. Key messages • Meal allowance did not alleviate the probability of severe FI, which is widespread among Finnish private sector service workers. • The main determinant of FI was difficulty covering household expenses.