Chapter 3. Characteristics of participants
The sample comprised 1,012 respondents, with a mean age of 42 years (SD 14, median 39 years), ranging from 16 to 79 years (Table 2). This is comparable to the mid-2024 population estimates of adults living in Scotland which reported the median age of the population in Scotland was 43 years (5).
Slightly more than half of respondents were female (58%). This is higher than the mid-2024 population estimates (51% female) (6).
The majority of respondents identified as white (94%). This proportion is comparable to the 2022 Census, which found that 92% of people across all age groups in Scotland identified as White(4) (7).
Most respondents were married (62%) and lived in households with two adults (57%), and 35% reported having dependent children. The 2022 Census found that single-person households were the most common household type, followed by two person households, whereas the pattern was reversed in this sample with two-person households being more common than single-person households (8). This is further reflected in the percentage with dependent children, which was higher in the sample (35%) as compared to the 2022 Census (24%).
In terms of employment, 60% of respondents were employed full time, and among those reporting currently working (full time, part time or self-employed), 34% reported working from home. This is similar to the 2022 Census which found that almost a third (32%) of workers worked from home in 2022 (9).
The sample was largely urban, with 87% living in urban areas and 13% in rural areas. This proportion is higher than that reported by the Scottish Government, which states that 83% of people reside in urban areas (10).
Table 2. Characteristics of participants who completed the web questionnaire and three 24-hour dietary recalls (n=1,012).
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Age, years | 42 (14) [16 – 79] |
| Age group | |
| 16-34y | 40% (408) |
| 35-54y | 39% (398) |
| 55+y | 20% (206) |
| Sex | |
| Female | 58% (584) |
| Male | 42% (427) |
| Prefer not to say | <0.1% (1) |
| Ethnicity | |
| White | 94% (951) |
| Asian or Asian British | 2.8% (28) |
| Mixed or multiple ethnic groups | 1.5% (15) |
| Black, Black British, Caribbean or African | 1.0% (10) |
| Other | 0.7% (7) |
| Prefer not to say | <0.1% (1) |
| Marital status | |
| Married/civil partnership/living as married | 61% (620) |
| Single | 31% (311) |
| Divorced/dissolved civil partnership/separated | 6.2% (63) |
| Widowed/surviving civil partner | 1.8% (18) |
| Number of adults in household | |
| 1 | 23% (233) |
| 2 | 57% (581) |
| 3 or more | 20% (198) |
| Number of children in household | |
| None | 65% (655) |
| 1 | 19% (196) |
| 2 | 14% (138) |
| 3 or more | 2.3% (23) |
| Employment status | |
| Employed full time | 60% (603) |
| Employed part time | 11% (112) |
| Self employed | 6.4% (65) |
| Permanently retired from work | 8.8% (89) |
| Permanently sick or disabled | 2.4% (24) |
| Looking after the home or family | 4.9% (50) |
| At school/ In further education / Higher education | 4.0% (40) |
| Other | 5.2% (53) |
| Work location | |
| Out of home (e.g., office) | 66% (468) |
| At home | 34% (241) |
| Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation quintile | |
| 1st (Most Deprived) | 17% (172) |
| 2nd | 19% (192) |
| 3rd | 19% (194) |
| 4th | 20% (204) |
| 5th (Least Deprived) | 24% (239) |
| Unknown | 1.5% (15) |
| Urban / Rural | |
| Urban Area | 87% (881) |
| Rural Area | 13% (127) |
| Unknown | 4 |
Values are percentage (n) or mean (SD) [range].
The qualitative sample included 19 high, 11 moderate, and 5 low OOH consumers (Table 3). Participants were drawn from across age groups and SIMD quintiles. A majority of participants were males (60% or higher) across all three groups.
Table 3. Characteristics of participants who completed the in-depth interview (n=35).
Characteristic | Frequency of out of home food consumption* | ||
High (n=19) | Moderate (n=11) | Low (n=5) | |
| Age group | |||
| 16-34y | 37% (7) | 36% (4) | 20% (1) |
| 35-54y | 26% (5) | 54% (6) | 40% (2) |
| 55+y | 37% (7) | 9% (1) | 40% (2) |
| Sex | |||
| Female | 21% (4) | 18% (2) | 40% (2) |
| Male | 79% (15) | 82% (9) | 60% (3) |
| Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation quintile | |||
| 1st(Most Deprived) | 16% (3) | 18% (2) | 20% (1) |
| 2nd | 21% (4) | 27% (3) | 0% (0) |
| 3rd | 26% (5) | 18% (2) | 40% (2) |
| 4th | 16% (3) | 9% (1) | 20% (1) |
| 5th (Least Deprived) | 26% (4) | 27% (3) | 20% (1) |
Values are percentage (n). * See Section 4.2. for details on classification of high, moderate, and low users | |||
References:
[4] Including Scottish White, Other British White, and other ethnic groups that were in the White category on the census form including Irish, Polish, Gypsy/Traveller, Roma, Showman/Show woman, and Other White.