Background: To tackle non-communicable diseases, Fiji recently raised taxes on unhealthy foods. This study aimed to gauge support for these taxes and other actions that promote healthy eating.
Methods: A cross-sectional, researcher-facilitated online survey in November 2022 was conducted, with 700 adults randomly selected from Deuba (rural) and Waidamudamu (semi-urban). Participant characteristics were collected, along with responses to open-ended questions about barriers to eating healthy foods and what actions individuals, communities, vendors, and government could take to support healthy eating. Closed-response questions were asked about support for actions by government, schools, and food industry. Similar data were obtained from a convenience sample of policy makers.
Results: A total of 501 consumers (72.0% response rate, 50.3% female) and 20 policy makers participated. Fifty-five percent of consumers identified cost as a barrier to healthy eating and 83.7% identified backyard gardening as an individual action that supports healthy eating. Actions identified for community leaders were: awareness raising (39.0%) and promoting backyard gardening (31.9%); for vendors: making healthy foods more affordable (70.6%); and for governments: provision of finances and seeds (65.2%). Three-quarters of consumers (75.5%) and 91.7% of policymakers supported a tax on foods and beverages high in sugar, salt, and/or fat. Most (95%) of the consumers and all (100%) policymakers supported only selling healthy foods in schools.
Conclusion: Cost was the main barrier, and community and government supported home gardening as the main facilitator to healthy eating. Most consumers and policymakers supported policy action to promote healthy eating, regardless of sociodemographic characteristics or the specific nature of the policy.