**3. Results**

The weighted sample characteristics presented in Table 1 indicate that half the sample were female (50.6%), with representation across socioeconomic groups (30.8% having 'No or compulsory' education and 23.3% with 'Higher education'). Additionally, 40.7% of the sample had an equivalised income less than £14,999, with 5.7% having an income above £50,000. On average, away from home food outlet density was nearly 60% (of all outlets), composed of a mixture of 28.8% restaurants, 22.6% fast food outlets and 8.3% cafés. Average total food spend was £204 per month, with 17.6% of that spend being directed toward away from home food sources.

Table 2 shows selected weighted sample demographic and socioeconomic variables across level of away from home food outlet density. For the highest level of exposure to away from home food outlet density, a higher proportion of the sample are younger, belonged to a more socioeconomically-advantaged group (higher educational attainment and income), had higher total food related spend and allocated a greater proportion of household food spend toward away from home sources. Sex and mean age showed similar proportions of the sample across exposure levels.

Across quintile of away from home food outlet exposure, absolute density of food outlets range from just over 40% to more than 76% of total food outlet exposure (Figure 3a). The relative contribution of the three away from home food outlet types varied across quintiles, with an overall higher contribution of restaurants from lowest to highest quintile of exposure, where that outlet type provides the dominant source of away from home outlet exposure in the highest quintile (Figure 3b).


a weighted mean (95% CI); AFH = Away from home.

**Table 1.** Weighted sample characteristics for analytical sample (*n* = 24,047) from Wave 1 as percentage or mean and 95% CI where indicated.

**Table 2.** Weighted sample characteristics (*n* = 24,047) as column percentages (unless otherwise stated) by quintile of proportion of away from home food outlet density.


*Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health* **2018**, *15*, 2821

**Figure 3.** (**a**) Stacked weighted mean % of food outlet density by quintile of away from home exposure for each food outlet type; (**b**) Normalised contribution of weighted mean % food outlet density for type of food outlet by proportion of away from home exposure quintile.

Regression analyses (Table 3) showed that compared to the lowest level of away from home food outlet density (Q1) higher levels of density were associated with a greater odds of high monthly away from home food spend (Q3: OR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.07, 1.30; Q4: OR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.18, 1.43; and Q5: OR = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.37, 1.68) (Model 0).


**Table 3.** Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for high % (top tertile) of away from home food spend (N = 24,047) by quintile of proportion of away from home food outlets exposure.

1 % of away from home food spend was divided into tertiles, with the highest tertile being 'high' in % of away from home food spending; 2 Adjusted for age, sex, total number of food outlets for restaurant, fast food, cafe, other and equivalised total food spend; 3 Additionally adjusted for education and equivalised income. \* *p* < 0.05, \*\* *p* < 0.01, \*\*\* *p* < 0.001.

This relationship was attenuated after adjustment for known confounders with Q3 becoming non-significant (Q3: OR = 1.09, 95% CI = 0.99, 1.21) but with Q4 and Q5 remaining significantly associated with a greater odds of high away from home food spend (Q4: OR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.02, 1.25 and Q5: OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.04, 1.30, respectively) (Model 2).

Sensitivity analyses with alternative model specifications were performed as described but results did not differ meaningfully from those described here.
