Intervention to Improve Access to Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Among Arkansas Food Pantry Clients

Long, Christopher R.; Rowland, Brett; McElfish, Pearl A.

doi:10.5888/pcd16.180155

Cited by 23 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…These findings contribute to the literature on interventions to increase fruit and vegetable consumption among lowincome populations (Gans et al 2016;Long 2019;Young 2013). It was encouraging to observe that clients in the post- SWAP group selected a higher proportion of green fruits and vegetables and a lower proportion of red fruits and vegetables.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

Pilot testing an intervention to educate and promote nutritious choices at food pantries

McKee

Gurganus

Atoloye

et al. 2021

J Public Health (Berl.)

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Aim This study aimed to assess the impact of the Supporting Wellness at Pantries (SWAP) system on client food selections at a food pantry. Subject and methods In a pre–post comparison study design, a client-choice food pantry implemented SWAP by reorganizing its inventory to promote healthy options. Each product was ranked as “choose often” (green), “sometimes” (yellow), or “rarely” (red) based on saturated fat, sodium, and sugar. Signage was added to indicate each item’s SWAP rank and healthier foods were placed at eye level. Client food baskets were assessed at time 1 (n = 121) and time 2 (n = 101). The proportions of green and red foods selected were compared using regression analyses. Results The regression analyses showed that the proportion of green foods selected by clients increased by 11% (p < 0.001) and the proportion of red foods selected decreased by 7% (p < 0.001) after SWAP was implemented (n = 222). Conclusions SWAP has the potential to positively shift client choices among the items available in a food pantry setting. SWAP is one component of a suite of changes to the charitable food system that have the potential to alleviate food insecurity, improve diet quality, and assist clients in managing diet-related diseases.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

Pilot testing an intervention to educate and promote nutritious choices at food pantries

McKee

Gurganus

Atoloye

et al. 2021

J Public Health (Berl.)

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Small-scale and localized research studies have also suggested that clients rely on food pantries for large portions of their food ( 14 , 15 ) over long periods of time ( 1 , 14 , 16 ). The persistent nature of food insecurity and the chronic food needs of clients have been identified by hunger relief agencies in their recent move away from the term “emergency food system,” prompting food pantries to adopt new policies and interventions to improve the healthfulness and client-centeredness of their services ( 4 , 14 , 17 – 21 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Needs and Preferences Among Food Pantry Clients

et al. 2021

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Introduction Food pantries serve households in need, including many with a family member with a diet-related chronic disease, yet data on client priorities to inform hunger relief practices are lacking. We used a statewide client survey in Minnesota to determine needs and priorities of food pantry clients in 2017 and 2019 and to identify how well Minnesota pantries met those needs in 2019. Methods Our survey was administered in 2017 and 2019. Food pantries in Minnesota were mailed 25 surveys each, with instructions for administering the surveys anonymously to clients. Descriptive analyses compared 2017 and 2019 data and compared client priorities for foods and services with how often they were available at the pantry in 2019. Results The 2017 survey represented 4,321 clients from 188 pantries; the 2019 survey represented 5,529 clients from 220 pantries. Most measures of food pantry use were consistently high across the years; about three-quarters of clients had been visiting the pantry for a year or more. In 2019, 85% of clients said it was important to have fresh fruits and vegetables, but only 52% said these were always available. About two-thirds had a household member with a diet-related chronic disease. The ability to choose their own foods was clients’ top priority. Conclusion The types of food most requested by clients tended to be healthy but were inconsistently available. Most important to clients was being able to choose their own food. Results underscore the need for continued monitoring of client priorities.

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“…This study raises awareness of the crucial need for nutrition education programmes and practical advice targeted at lowincome groups, regarding how to purchase and prepare healthy nutritious meals on a limited budget, to complement the mix of foods received from the food pantry. Interventions targeted at food pantry participants have focused on improving the dietary quality of foods supplied to and obtained from the pantry (32)(33)(34) . However, findings from the present study indicate that pantry foods may, in fact, be contributing greater mean amounts of key nutrients compared with other sources.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutritional contributions of food pantries and other sources to the diets of rural, Midwestern food pantry users in the USA

et al. 2020

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Food pantries provide free food to individuals at nutritional risk given lack of available foods. Frequent use of food pantries is associated with higher dietary quality; however, neither the nutrient contributions of food pantries to participant diets, nor their relationship with household food security are known. This cross-sectional analysis used secondary data from rural food pantry participants, including sociodemographic characteristics, household food security, and 24-hour recalls. Mean intakes of selected food groups and nutrients from food pantries, supermarkets, other stores and restaurants, and other were compared by one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Interaction effects of household food security with food sources were evaluated by two-way ANCOVA. About 40% of participants’ dietary intake came from food pantries. Mean intakes of fibre (P<0.0001), sodium (P<0.0001), fruit (P<0.0001), grains (P<0.0001), and oils (P<0.0001) were higher from food pantries compared with all other sources, as were calcium (P=0.004), vitamin D (P<0.0001) and potassium (P<0.0001) from food pantries compared to two other sources. Percent total energy intake (%TEI) from added sugars (P<0.0001) and saturated fat (P<0.0001) were higher from supermarkets than most other sources. Significant interaction effects were observed between food sources and household food security for vegetables (P=0.01), sodium (P=0.01), and %TEI from saturated fat (P=0.004), with food insecure participants having significantly higher intakes from food pantry and/or supermarket compared to all other sources. Future interventions may incorporate these findings by providing education on purchasing and preparing healthy meals on limited budgets, to complement foods received from pantries, and by reducing sodium in pantry environments.

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Intervention to Improve Access to Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Among Arkansas Food Pantry Clients

Cited by 23 publications

References 6 publications

Pilot testing an intervention to educate and promote nutritious choices at food pantries

Pilot testing an intervention to educate and promote nutritious choices at food pantries

Needs and Preferences Among Food Pantry Clients

Nutritional contributions of food pantries and other sources to the diets of rural, Midwestern food pantry users in the USA

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