Daily Dietary Intake Patterns Improve after Visiting a Food Pantry among Food-Insecure Rural Midwestern Adults

Abstract

Emergency food pantries provide food at no cost to low-resource populations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate single-day dietary intake patterns before and after visiting a food pantry among food-secure and food-insecure pantry clients. This observational cohort study comprised a paired, before-and-after design with a pantry visit as the intervention. Participants (n = 455) completed a demographic and food security assessment, and two 24-h dietary recalls. Adult food security was measured using the U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module. Dietary intake patterns were assessed using Automated Self-Administered 24-h Recall data and classified by Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2010) scores, dietary variety, number of eating occasions, and energy intake. Paired t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests compared outcomes before and after a pantry visit. Mean dietary variety increased after the pantry visit among both food-secure (p = 0.02) and food-insecure (p < 0.0001) pantry clients. Mean energy intake (p = 0.0003), number of eating occasions (p = 0.004), and HEI-2010 component scores for total fruit (p < 0.001) and whole fruit (p < 0.0003) increased among food-insecure pantry clients only. A pantry visit may improve dietary intake patterns, especially among food-insecure pantry clients.

Total Usual Micronutrient Intakes Compared to the Dietary Reference Intakes among U.S. Adults by Food Security Status

“…To address the problem of food insecurity, the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans call for supporting individuals in making healthy food choices by expanding nutrition-assistance programs and creating networks and partnerships to address the problem. One example is improving the offerings at food pantries [28]. Another is expanding programs, such as the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program and SNAP-Ed, which teach food resource management [29].…”

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education Improves Food Security Independent of Food Assistance and Program Characteristics

“…Previous evidence of improvement in food security because of SNAP [ 2 ], WIC [ 14 ], and associations with emergency program use [ 15 ], taken with knowledge of the common practice of simultaneous participation in food assistance programs and nutrition education programs, suggests that the changes observed in food security previously attributed to nutrition education [ 9 ] may actually be accounted for by participation or change in participation of food assistance (mediation). It may also be likely that the effect of nutrition education on food security may be differential by food assistance participation or changes in food assistance (moderation).…”

Providing menu and shopping toolkits to improve food access and security during a pandemic

“…Data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort indicated that children experiencing any signs of food insecurity will learn less (Winicki & Jemison, 2008). The short-term effects of food insecurity are obvious: reduced dietary quality and food variety, disrupted eating patterns, and reduced food intake (Wright et al, 2018). However, the long-term effects are less obvious, and include obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and slower growth and development in children.…”