Food Acquisition Behaviors and Perceptions of Food Pantry Use among Food Pantry Clients in Rural Appalachia

Frequency of Food Pantry Use Is Associated with Diet Quality among Indiana Food Pantry Clients

Introduction: Fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption can be a protective factor for chronic diseases, but few studies have investigated the association between FV consumption and health risks for chronic disease in the context of the food and nutrition assistance system. The aim of this study was to assess the association between FV consumption and the prevalence of hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and body mass index (BMI) among food pantry users in small- to mid-sized metropolitan communities in the northeastern United States. Methods: We used data from three health surveys conducted among residents of communities in upstate New York to construct a predictive model of food pantry use. We then applied the model to a regional subset of SMART Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data collected in the northeastern United States to identify potential food pantry users. We examined the associations between FV intake and diabetes, hypertension, and BMI through univariate and multivariate logistic and linear regressions. Additionally, we investigated food pantry use as a potential modifier of these associations. Results: The analysis dataset included 5,257 respondents, of which 634 individuals (12.06%) were estimated to be food pantry users. Vegetables consumption was associated with decreased odds of hypertension and lower BMI, regardless of food pantry use. Fruits consumption was associated with decreased odds of diabetes regardless of food pantry use. The association between fruit consumption and BMI was modified by the use of food pantry. Among food pantry users, consumption of fruits was associated with a higher BMI, while among food pantry non-users, it was associated with a lower BMI. Conclusion: The overall protective effect of increased FV consumption on chronic disease risks suggest that increasing FV availability in food pantries may not only alleviate hunger but also contribute to better health. Further research is needed to elucidate what is driving the discrepant association between fruit consumption and BMI among food pantry users and non-users.

This study sought to describe racial disparities in food insecurity, food pantry use, and barriers to and experiences with food pantries during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. We surveyed 2928 adults in Massachusetts regarding food access in the year before and during the first year of the pandemic. Weighted multivariable logistic regression models assessed racial differences in barriers to and experiences with pantry use during the pandemic. Black and Latino adults experienced the highest prevalence of food insecurity and pantry use. Additionally, Black and Latino adults reported more barriers to, but less stigma around, pantry use compared to White adults. Latino adults were less likely to know about pantry hours/locations and encounter staff who spoke their language. Black and Latino adults were also more likely to find pantry hours/locations inconvenient and have difficulty with transportation. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in increased food insecurity, and food access inequities persisted. Programmatic policies to improve pantry access in communities of color could include increasing the hours/days that pantries are open, increasing bilingual staff, providing transportation or delivery, and creating multilingual public awareness campaigns on how to locate pantries.

Introduction Food insecurity is an issue among students in higher education and has been linked to insufficient sleep, and poor mental and general health. College campuses have quickly responded by establishing campus food pantries. However, the extent to which campus food pantries are ameliorating the impacts of food insecurity is unknown. Methods Online survey data were collected from a cross-sectional sample of 1,855 students who were food pantry users in the 10-campus UC system. Students were asked to report their number of visits to a food pantry in the past month, and to rate their general health, depressive symptoms, and number of days of enough sleep (in a week) before and after food pantry access. Changes in days of enough sleep, depressive symptoms and general health were computed. Demographic characteristics were obtained from institutional data. Path analysis was used to examine direct and indirect pathways from food pantry use to depressive symptoms and general health through enough sleep days, controlling for workstudy receipt, Pell grant receipt and family income. Results Students on average were 21.7 years old (SD= 3.5), and had more days of adequate sleep (25%), and improved depressive symptoms (43%) and general health (31%) after obtaining services from a campus food pantry. An increase in monthly food pantry use was directly related to a decrease in depressive symptoms (β= 0.08, p<0.001) and an increase in general health (β= 0.07, p=0.001). Additionally, an increase in food pantry use related to an increase in getting more days of enough sleep (β=0.07, p=0.001), which in turn positively related to a decrease in depressive symptoms (β=0.18, p<0.001) and improved general health (β=0.24, p<0.001). Conclusion Food pantry use had a positive relationship with student health outcomes, and enough sleep days played an important mediating role. Findings suggest that emergency food access may have a positive impact on student health outcomes. Support This study was funded by the UC Campus Basic Needs Committees.

Food pantry stigma among college students has been documented as an issue that impacts the utili­zation of resources but has not been deeply investi­gated. The objective of this study was to explore sources of food pantry stigma to identify different strategies to encourage food pantry use, which has the potential to positively alter methods on cam­puses. This mixed-methods study was a branched (separate questions and responses from both food pantry users and nonusers), 51-item, online, Qualtrics survey that sampled randomly selected students from a rural university (n = 3,000) and recruited using flyers posted in food pantries on campus. Reported results include demographic characteristics, use of on-campus food pantries, a validated food insecurity questionnaire, food pantry self-stigma, and an adapted measure of self-stigma of seeking help, and affirming or nonaffirm­ing qualitative measures of food pantry stigma. Sentiment and keyword analyses were conducted by two researchers to analyze qualitative data to identify factors that influence food pantry stigma from food pantry users and nonusers. Quantitative data were analyzed with descriptive statistics. Qual­itative data determined areas of stigma and aligned with the descriptive statistics on self-stigma and help-seeking measures. Among survey participants (n = 594), 35.7% of food-insecure students did not use food pantries. Users (M = 23.12, SD = 9.06) reported higher perceptions of food pantry stigma than nonusers (M = 15.79, SD = 3.85). Of the food pantry nonusers (n = 461), 322 identified the presence of stigma (69.85%). Sixty-six food pantry users (n = 97) identified the presence of stigma (68.04%). The keyword analysis highlighted poten­tial influences of food pantry stigma among all par­ticipants including power hierarchy, financial bur­den, embarrassment, and feeling superfluous. This study highlights influences of stigma and places an emphasis on changing current approaches in cam­pus food pantry implementation and dissemina­tion. Future studies could investigate the barriers and solutions to current messaging and implemen­tation of campus food pantries utilizing implemen­tation science experts and frameworks.

Population-based survey data of 2,022 adults in Schenectady, NY were analyzed to identify determinants of food pantry use. A logistic regression model that controlled for socioeconomic variables demonstrated that food insecurity, government nutrition assistant program participation, use of a soup kitchen, living in a low supermarket access neighborhood, shopping at a corner store and a dollar store were positively associated with food pantry use, while shopping at an ethnic market was inversely associated with food pantry use. This study suggests neighborhood food environment and secondary (non-supermarket) shopping venues are independent determinants of food pantry use among urban, racially diverse adults.

This study aims to describe differences in participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women and Children (WIC), and school meal programs by household characteristics prior to and during the pandemic, and to examine the association of program participation with food security status and food pantry use. We analyze secondary data (n = 470) from an online survey collected in July/August 2020 using weighted multiple logistic regression models. Participation in SNAP declined among households with children in the first four months of the pandemic, while participation in WIC increased slightly, and participation in school meals remained unchanged. There were significant differences in SNAP, WIC, and school meal programs use by race/ethnicity, income, and urbanicity before and during the pandemic. Food insecurity prevalence was higher among SNAP participants at both periods but the gap between participants and non-participants was smaller during the pandemic. Pantry use and food insecurity rates were consistently higher among federal nutrition assistance program participants, possibly suggesting unmet food needs. These results highlight the need for increased program benefits and improved access to food, particularly during periods of hardship.

This study examined consumption of fruits and vegetables, foods with added sugar and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) based on the frequency of food pantry use. A repeated cross-sectional study was conducted among food pantry clients (n = 563) in Omaha, Nebraska. Daily intake of individual dietary items was combined into each final dietary outcome measure and dichotomized: <1 time per day or ≥ times per day. Descriptive statistics were produced, and a logistic regression model was fit. More frequent pantry use was associated with 2.1 times greater odds of consuming foods with added sugar one or more times per day compared to non-pantry users.

Background/Objectives: Barriers to food pantry use have been identified but little information is available regarding how these barriers are related to food pantry use. The purpose of this study was to assess relationships between barriers and (1) user demographic characteristics, (2) visit frequency and amount of food received, and (3) satisfaction with pantry visit experiences. Methods: Data were used from the 2022 Minnesota Food Shelf Survey, which included responses from 288 food pantries across the state with 6267 individuals reporting on barriers to pantry use. Survey barrier statements included limits on frequency of visits allowed, lack of reliable transportation, scheduling difficulties, and other. Survey satisfaction statements included being able to choose food types, being made welcome, having an easy selection process, having different varieties of food available, and foods having a favorable appearance. Chi-square and mixed model logistic regression analyses were used to assess relationships between reporting barriers and demographic characteristics, visit satisfaction, visit frequency, and amount of food received in the past 6 months. Results: Respondents were primarily non-Hispanic White (65%) and female (68%). Regression models showed that reporting barriers to pantry use was not associated with user demographic characteristics, but was associated with greater odds of visiting the pantry more often, and lower odds of getting more food from the pantry or reporting a satisfactory food pantry visit experience. Conclusions: Findings may be useful for food pantry staff to improve pantry access and visit experiences and for public health professionals who advise those who use food pantries to supplement household food supplies.

Pantry Visit Frequency is Associated with Diet Quality in Indiana Food Pantry Users

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) describes a food desert as an urban neighborhood or rural town without ready access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food. An estimated 2.3 million rural Americans live in food deserts. One goal of the USDA is to eliminate food deserts. However, at a time when some food deserts are being eliminated, hundreds of grocery stores are closing, causing other food deserts to arise. The literature is scarce on how a community adapts to an impending food desert. Alderson, West Virginia, USA (population 1184) rallied to face an impending food desert when the only grocery store in town closed in December 2014. This study investigated how this small rural community adapted to its oncoming food desert. A community member survey was administered to 155 Alderson families (49%) to determine how the new food desert affected family food acquisition and storage behaviors. A restaurant survey was given to the town's four restaurants to determine how the food desert affected their businesses. Sales data for a new food hub (Green Grocer) was obtained to see if this new initiative offset the negative effects of the food desert. ANOVA and <i>t</i>-tests were used to compare group numerical data. Two group response rates were compared by testing the equality of two proportions. Categorical data were analyzed with the &#967;2 or frequency distribution analysis. Group averages are reported as mean ± standard error of the mean. Significance for all analyses was set at <i>p</i><0.05. Even though 86% of the population shopped at the new Green Grocer, 77% did most of their shopping at a store at least 17.7 km (11 miles) from home. The number of long-distance monthly shopping trips made after the food desert (3.3±0.4) did not change significantly (<i>p</i>=0.16) from the number before the food desert (2.8±0.3). Price comparisons among the Green Grocer and three distant supermarkets showed a 30% savings by traveling to distant supermarkets. Frequency of monthly restaurant visits did not change after the emergence of the food desert (2.98±0.54 vs 3.05±0.51, <i>p</i>=0.85). However, restaurant patrons requested to buy fresh produce and dairy from the restaurants to use for their own home cooking. Food pantry use increased by 43%, with community members requesting more fresh produce, meat, and dairy. The food desert triggered a 21% increase in home gardening and an 11% increase in home food preservation. Opening a Green Grocer offset only some of the effects of the food desert, because community members use it as a convenience store to purchase fresh produce and dairy products that families may lack before their next long-distance trip to a supermarket. Alderson's low-income residents now rely more heavily on food pantry assistance, while a small number of other residents have started gardening and food preservation. The first factor governing food acquisition behavior in rural Appalachia is food pricing, with the proximity of food access coming in second. How to overcome these two major barriers to food security in the midst of current economics and marketing remains to be answered.

College students are disproportionately more food insecure as compared to the general U.S. population with racial and ethnic minority students at greater risk. The purpose of this study is to explore socio-ecological characteristics of food pantry utilization among food insecure Black/African American non-Hispanic and Hispanic college students employing secondary data analyses of a larger cross-sectional study of food insecurity among college students. The current study sample (n = 460) was comprised of 174 self-identified Black/African American non-Hispanic, 26 Black/African American & Hispanic, and 260 Hispanic participants. Food pantry use served as the dependent variable. Multi-level independent variables included Individual, Interpersonal, and Community Level factors. A multivariate logistic regression model analyzed the relationship between food pantry use and independent variables found to be significant in earlier independent sample t-tests and chi-square analyses. Statistical significance was set at P < .05 and a confidence interval (CI) of 95%. "Saving" coping mechanisms (OR = 1.15, 95% CI [1.082-1.231] and discrimination experiences of day-to-day unfair treatment (OR = 1.04, 95% CI [.1.000-1.077]) were predictive of food pantry utilization. This study suggests food pantry use among food insecure racial and ethnic minority college students may be influenced by socio-cultural influences at both interpersonal and community levels. Implications include interventions developed with a health equity framework.

Area characteristics associated with food pantry use in Berlin – A cross-sectional ecological study

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to inquiry dietary behavior and the physical and mental health status of food pantry users to better understand issues related to food insecurity and to explore predictors of intentions for self-sufficiency.Design/methodology/approachThe authors randomly surveyed 12 food pantries (151 consumers) sponsored by the North Texas Food Bank in USA, regarding dietary behavior, health status, reasons for food pantry use, satisfaction with services provided, and self-sufficient behavior and support.FindingsAbout 37 percent of survey participants would expect to continue using food pantry services for one or more years. Reasons for food pantry use included low job earnings, unemployment, poor health, and disability. Over 83 percent of them were either overweight or obese, and over half (57 percent) of them had moderate or severe mental disorder symptoms that warrant examination by healthcare practitioners. On average, their health-related quality of life was lower than the general population. Participants’ physical health was significantly correlated with work intention. The hierarchical regression model predicting work intention had a large effect size.Research limitations/implicationsThis research has highlighted the importance of improving food pantry consumers’ health and self-sufficiency in order to live sufficiently and healthily.Practical implicationsCommunity health practitioners need to help food banks address the needs beyond hunger to focus on the larger ramification of food insecurity such as self-sufficiency and health-related quality of life.Originality/valueThis work extends the existing studies focused on food insecurity, and it will enable the collaborations among food banks, social workers, vocational rehabilitation counselors, and public health practitioners.

Introduction Recent studies have documented alarmingly high levels of food insecurity (FI) among college students, with FI being associated with insufficient sleep. College campuses have quickly responded by establishing campus food pantries. It is unknown whether food pantries can improve sleep while experiencing food insecurity. Methods Online survey data were collected from a cross-sectional sample of 1,599 college students who used Basic Needs Centers in the 10-campus UC system. Students were asked to report their number of visits to a food pantry in the past month, and to rate their sleep sufficiency (never to always). Demographic characteristics were obtained from institutional data. Using a multiple variable regression, we examined food insecurity and campus food pantry use (at least 1/mo) in relation to sleep sufficiency controlling for demographic factors. Results Students on average were 23.44 years old (SD= 35.67), and 70% female. Almost one third (28%) had “enough sleep to feel rested” in the last 3 months. Of students who used the CFP, 20% used it 1-3 times in the last month, and 29% used at least 4 times. Preliminary results show that food insecurity was related to obtaining less sufficient sleep (β= -18.1, p &amp;lt; 0.001). Conclusion Food insecurity was associated with obtaining insufficient sleep among students attending a state university system, whereas CFP use showed no association. These findings highlight the critical need address to food insecurity as a factor that may hinder sufficient sleep. Support (if any) Funded by the Center for Economic Justice at UC Santa Cruz