Interventions that address food insecurity for children aged 0–11 years, families, and pregnant women in the UK: a systematic review of intervention studies

Abstract Food insecurity (FI) has increased in recent years due to economic shifts and rising food prices, with 13.6% of UK households experiencing FI, 47% including children in 2024. Following PRISMA guidelines, this systematic review with narrative synthesis explored the impact of UK interventions addressing FI for children, families, and pregnant women. Seven databases and two clinical trial registers were systematically searched for articles published between 2008–November 2023 (rapid search November 2023–February 2026). Peer-reviewed intervention studies were eligible if they were conducted in the UK, had an experimental design, targeted at least one FI pillar (accessibility, utilisation, availability, and stability) and if most participants were children aged 0–11 years, families with at least one child 0–11 years, or pregnant women. 18,225 articles were identified (rapid search identified 5,514); 11 intervention studies were included (rapid search n = 2). Types of interventions included cooking interventions ( n = 4), free school meals ( n = 3), holiday clubs ( n = 2), supermarket vouchers ( n = 1), and food bags ( n = 1). Food availability was targeted in seven studies, food accessibility and utilisation in five, and food stability in one, one study included FI as an outcome. The interventions demonstrated barriers and facilitators to inform future intervention development. Most studies were considered serious or critical risk of bias. A lack of high-quality interventions addressing FI were identified. The additional studies reflected the evidence from the original studies. Government policies and funding are needed to relieve FI. Research needs to co-develop acceptable interventions and evaluate their effectiveness to reduce FI among families.