One-Third of BC Residents Ate Less Due to Financial Difficulties: Poll

About 30 percent of British Columbia residents say they ate less than they thought they should because of financial difficulties, and 31 percent worry about their money lasting until the end of the month, a new poll says.

A total of 37 percent of the province’s residents have swapped their normal food brands for generic items, while 35 percent say they have changed their diet to avoid certain higher-cost food items, according to the poll, conducted by Research Co. in partnership with United Way BC.

Some respondents said higher food prices had forced them to reduce food intake or cut back on medications. Twenty-one percent said they had cut back on lunches for themselves, while 12 percent cut back on medications and 4 percent cut back on lunches for children.

Twenty-three percent said they or someone in their household had reduced meal sizes in recent months because of affordability concerns, while 18 percent said they or someone in their household could not afford nutritious meals.

Younger respondents showed a greater tendency to make dietary changes due to affordability.

Broken down by age, 41 percent of respondents aged 18 to 34 said they had modified their diet because some foods had become unaffordable, compared with 36 percent of those aged 35 to 54 who did so, and 28 percent of those aged 55 and older.

The poll showed that 15 percent had skipped meals altogether because of affordability, while another 15 percent said the food they bought did not last and they could not afford to buy more.

Another 13 percent said they had accessed free food or meals from a community organization such as a food bank.

The poll also asked about the impact on seniors of rising living costs including rent or mortgage, gas for a car, and utilities.

Among respondents with a senior family member, friend, or coworker, 26 percent said the senior had expressed concern about paying for everyday living expenses, while another 26 percent said the senior worried about non-essential but important expenses such as social activities or gifts.

Another 24 percent said seniors they knew had expressed feelings of loneliness or isolation, while 15 percent said seniors they knew had reduced meal sizes or skipped meals because of affordability, and 12 percent said seniors they knew could not afford nutritious meals.

Overall, 31 percent of B.C. residents said they are more stressed now than they were two years ago about having enough money to make it to the end of the month, while 29 percent were specifically more stressed about paying rent or mortgages.

Of the total, 27 percent said they are more stressed about feeding themselves and their families, and the same percentage said they are more stressed about having enough time to care for themselves and their families.

The online survey was conducted April 24–26 among 801 adults in British Columbia. Results were weighted by age, gender, and region using Canadian census data. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.