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An Evaluation of the Meal Patterns Among a Sample of Adult Emergency Food Pantry Users in Central Northwestern Indiana
Author(s) -
Jacobs Ashley,
Craig Bruce,
Bailey Regan,
Mattes Richard,
EicherMiller Heather
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.29.1_supplement.261.7
Subject(s) - food insecurity , meal , agriculture , environmental health , medicine , food security , food intake , demography , geography , archaeology , pathology , sociology
Approximately 5% (14.4 million) of all US households utilize emergency food pantries and receive an estimated average of 38.2 pounds of free food per visit. Food furnished through these venues could be responsible for ∼25% of the household's food supply. Therefore, the types and amounts of food that pantries supply have the potential to impact the diets of low resource pantry users. The purpose of this study was to characterize and compare dietary intake patterns, among a sample of adult (蠅21y) emergency food pantry users in central northwestern Indiana, before and after a pantry visit. Upon recruitment at the pantry, participants ( n = 99) completed a household characteristics survey and the Automated Self‐Administered 24‐hour Recall (ASA24) to estimate dietary intake before the pantry visit. An additional ASA24 was completed online or via assisted phone interview, at least 48 hours after the pantry visit. Reported energy, frequency of intake occasions, and unique food or beverage items consumed were estimated and compared using a paired t‐test and Wilcoxon signed‐rank test. Mean energy intake and frequency of intake occasions were not significantly different ( p =0.2 and p =0.5 respectively); but, the number of unique food or beverage items consumed significantly increased (1.0, p =0.03) after the visit to the pantry. Use of the food pantry significantly increased dietary variety among adult food pantry users in central northwestern Indiana. Supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Voices for Food Grant 2013‐69004‐20401.