Associations between Food Pantry Size and Distribution Method and Healthfulness of Foods Received by Clients in Baltimore City Food Pantries

Yuxuan Gu, Shahmir H. Ali, Sally Yan, Bengucan Gunen, Reuben Park, Lisa Poirier, Hope C. Craig, Hengjin Dong and Joel Gittelsohn
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Yuxuan Gu: Center for Health Policy Studies, Department of Social Medicine, School of Public Health, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
Shahmir H. Ali: Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
Sally Yan: Family League of Baltimore City, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
Bengucan Gunen: Center for Human Nutrition, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
Reuben Park: Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
Lisa Poirier: Center for Human Nutrition, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
Hope C. Craig: Center for Human Nutrition, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
Hengjin Dong: Center for Health Policy Studies, Department of Social Medicine, School of Public Health, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
Joel Gittelsohn: Center for Human Nutrition, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 13, 1-10

Abstract: This study aimed to evaluate the association of the overall nutritional quality and the weight share of specific types of foods received by food pantry clients with food pantry size and distribution method. Data on healthy food weights using the gross weight share (GWS) of select foods and the validated Food Assortment Score Tool (FAST) were collected from 75 food pantry clients in Baltimore, Maryland. The average FAST score across the study population was 63.0 (SD: 10.4). Overall, no statistically significant differences in average FAST scores by pantry size and distribution method were found. However, among client-choice pantries, clients of small pantries had higher scores ( p < 0.05) while among medium pantries, clients of traditional pantries had higher scores ( p < 0.01). Subgroup analysis of GWS was stratified by pantry size and distribution methods. Findings suggested multi-level, multi-component interventions combining environmental strategies are needed to enhance the healthfulness of foods received by clients. Our analysis provided data to consider further refinements of pantry interventions and planning of more rigorous research on factors influencing the effectiveness of pantry interventions.

Keywords: food pantry; food insecurity; nutritional quality; systems; Baltimore; client choice (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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