Socio-demographic factors associated with hunger among food pantry users in Eastern Massachusetts

Abstract

To assess the determinants of hunger among food pantry users, the present study used a cross-sectional survey that included a modified Household Hunger Scale to quantify hunger. Mixed-effects logistic regression models were used to assess the relationship between hunger categories and various household socio-demographic and economic characteristics, such as age, race, household size, marital status and experience of any economic hardship. The survey was administered to food pantry users from June 2018 to August 2018 at various food pantries across Eastern Massachusetts with 611 food pantry users completing the questionnaire at any of the 10 food pantry sites. One-fifth (20⋅13 %) of food pantry users experienced moderate hunger and 19⋅14 % experienced severe hunger. Food pantry users who were single, divorced or separated; had less than a high school education; working part-time, unemployed or retired; or, who earned incomes less than $1000 per month were most likely to experience severe or moderate hunger. Pantry users who experienced any economic hardship had 4⋅78 the adjusted odds of severe hunger (95 % CI 2⋅49, 9⋅19), which was much larger than the odds of moderate hunger (AOR 1⋅95; 95 % CI 1⋅10, 3⋅48). Younger age and participation in WIC (AOR 0⋅20; 95 % CI 0⋅05–0⋅78) and SNAP (AOR 0⋅53; 95 % CI 0⋅32–0⋅88) were protective against severe hunger. The present study illustrates factors affecting hunger in food pantry users, which can help inform public health programmes and policies for people in need of additional resources. This is essential particularly in times of increasing economic hardships recently exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Assessing the effect of adverse economic events on severity of hunger among food pantry clients

“…Mixed effects models were employed because demographics of pantry users differed greatly by food pantry site, specifically by educational attainment level, race, and age. These models adjusted for food pantry site as a random effect while all other covariates were controlled for as fixed effects (25). Multivariable mixed effects models were used to estimate associations between economic instability and hunger category.…”

“…This scale has been previously used for hunger monitoring and evaluation (28)(29)(30)(31) and was used in this study as a proxy for the more traditional food insecurity assessments. The HHS was chosen for this study given it measures insufficient food quantity, is efficient in the food pantry setting, has been validated for use in a wide variety of cultures, and is appropriate for a population with a high level of food insecurity (25). Given the logistical and time considerations of conducting this study in a fast-paced food pantry setting, the HHS was modified for practical use in this study limiting the validity of the instrument.…”

“…This study, described elsewhere (25), conducted in partnership with The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB), recruited food pantry users visiting one of 10 selected food pantries between June 2018 and August 2018 to complete a survey. The 10 food pantries were selected based on high food pantry user volume, which was defined as serving at least 1,000 households per month in 2017.…”

“…Recent research indicates that certain sociodemographic determinants are associated with hunger in food pantry users such as marital status (being single, divorced, or separated): education (having less than high school education); work status (working part-time, unemployed, or retired); and, income (earning less than $1,000 per month) (25). Research is limited, however, on the individual and joint effects of specific types of adverse economic events on the existence and severity of food insecurity and hunger, such as unemployment, increased medical expenses, eviction, and experiencing the death of a family member.…”

“…Research is limited, however, on the individual and joint effects of specific types of adverse economic events on the existence and severity of food insecurity and hunger, such as unemployment, increased medical expenses, eviction, and experiencing the death of a family member. As such, this study, resulting from a broader examination of hunger in food pantry clients (25), aimed to understand which aspects of adverse economic events were most strongly associated with hunger among food pantry users in Massachusetts in 2018 and the extent to which these events affected the severity of hunger. In Massachusetts, food insecurity increased by 58% from 19% in 2019 pre-pandemic to 30% in 2020 during the start of the pandemic (26).…”