Nutrient Intake of Food Bank Users Is Related to Frequency of Food Bank Use, Household Size, Smoking, Education and Country of Birth

Abstract

The number of individuals and families accessing food assistance programs has continued to grow throughout the 1990s. Despite the increased health risk among low-income people, few studies have addressed nutrient intake throughout the month or at the end of the month when food and financial resources are thought to be compromised, and no study has described dietary status of a random sample of food bank users. Nutrient intakes of adult female and male food bank users in metropolitan Montreal, Quebec, Canada, were monitored week-by-week over a month by dietitian-administered 24-h recall interviews. A total of 428 participants from a stratified random sample of 57 urban area food banks completed all four interviews. Mean energy intake, as an indicator of diet quantity, was similar to other adult populations (10.2 +/- 4.8 and 7.9 +/- 3.6 MJ for men and women, respectively, age 18-49 y) and not related to sociodemographic variables except the expected biological variation of age and sex. Macronutrient intake was stable throughout the month. Overall median intakes of calcium, vitamin A, and zinc were below recommended levels for all age and sex groups. Intakes of several micronutrients were related to frequency of food bank use, household size, smoking, education, and country of birth. High nutrient intake variability characterized these adult food bank users.

Socio-demographic influences on food purchasing among Canadian households

“…These results are consistent with other Canadian studies of food purchasing and food intake (Leaman and Evers, 1997;Jacobs Starkey et al, 1999;Jacobs Starkey and Kuhnlein, 2000;Tarasuk, 2001;Kirkpatrick and Tarasuk, 2003), showing compromised food selection among lowincome groups, with vegetables and fruit, and milk products identified as being particularly vulnerable to situations of low income. However, by using non-parametric statistical techniques, we have been able to discern an income threshold below which food purchasing appears to be severely constrained.…”

The relationship between low income and household food expenditure patterns in Canada

“…A study of women in families using food banks in Toronto documented very low levels of calcium intake 17 and limited consumption of milk products 24 , while Jacobs Starkey et al 22 found low levels of calcium, vitamin A and zinc among food bank users in Montreal. The authors also found that their sample consumed fewer servings of milk products than did Quebecers in general 23 .…”

Adolescent BMI growth: The of role biological and non-biological mothers

“…Household characteristics have been shown to influence BMI through food availability, expenditure and behavior [20]. Participation in food programs, nutrient intake and income also vary by household [21]. Higher weights are found among adults in rural areas of the south, but race vary by race/ethnicity [22] While moving to a dense area often results in weight loss, high BMI individuals are unlikely to choose these areas [23].…”