Food insecurity and the role of food assistance programs in supporting diet quality during the COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts
BackgroundEconomic and supply chain shocks resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 led to substantial increases in the numbers of individuals experiencing food-related hardship in the US, with programs aimed at addressing food insecurity like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Nutrition |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.1007177/full |
| _version_ | 1828070902714073088 |
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| author | Matthew M. Lee Mary Kathryn Poole Rachel M. Zack Lauren Fiechtner Lauren Fiechtner Lauren Fiechtner Lauren Fiechtner Eric B. Rimm Eric B. Rimm Erica L. Kenney Erica L. Kenney |
| author_facet | Matthew M. Lee Mary Kathryn Poole Rachel M. Zack Lauren Fiechtner Lauren Fiechtner Lauren Fiechtner Lauren Fiechtner Eric B. Rimm Eric B. Rimm Erica L. Kenney Erica L. Kenney |
| author_sort | Matthew M. Lee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundEconomic and supply chain shocks resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 led to substantial increases in the numbers of individuals experiencing food-related hardship in the US, with programs aimed at addressing food insecurity like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and food pantries seeing significant upticks in utilization. While these programs have improved food access overall, the extent to which diet quality changed, and whether they helped mitigate diet quality disruptions, is not well understood.ObjectiveTo evaluate food insecurity, food pantry and/or SNAP participation associations with both diet quality as well as perceived disruptions in diet during the COVID-19 pandemic among Massachusetts adults with lower incomes.MethodsWe analyzed complete-case data from 1,256 individuals with complete data from a cross-sectional online survey of adults (ages 18 years and above) living in Massachusetts who responded to “The MA Statewide Food Access Survey” between October 2020 through January 2021. Study recruitment and survey administration were performed by The Greater Boston Food Bank. We excluded respondents who reported participation in assistance programs but were ineligible (n = 168), those who provided straightlined responses to the food frequency questionnaire component of the survey (n = 34), those with incomes above 300% of the federal poverty level (n = 1,427), those who completed the survey in 2021 (n = 8), and those who reported improved food insecurity (n = 55). Current dietary intake was assessed via food frequency questionnaire. Using Bayesian regression models, we examined associations between pandemic food insecurity, perceived disruption in diet, diet quality, and intakes of individual foods among those who completed a survey in 2020. We assessed interactions by pantry and SNAP participation to determine whether participation moderated these relationships.ResultsIndividuals experiencing food insecurity reported greater disruption in diet during the pandemic and reduced consumption of healthy/unhealthy foods. Pantry participation attenuated significant associations between food insecurity and lower consumption of unhealthy (b = −1.13 [95% CI −1.97 to −0.31]) and healthy foods (b = −1.07 [−1.82 to −0.34]) to null (unhealthy foods: −0.70 [−2.24 to 0.84]; healthy foods: 0.30 [−1.17 to 1.74]), whereas SNAP participation attenuated associations for healthy foods alone (from −1.07 [−1.82 to −0.34] to −0.75 [−1.83 to 0.32]). Results were robust to choice of prior as well as to alternative modeling specifications.ConclusionAmong adults with lower incomes, those experiencing food insecurity consumed less food, regardless of healthfulness, compared to individuals not experiencing food insecurity. Participation in safety-net programs, including SNAP and pantry participation, buffered this phenomenon. Continued support of SNAP and the food bank network and a focus on access to affordable healthy foods may simultaneously alleviate hunger while improving nutrition security. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T00:45:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8685bf7dc34d415996373eee88a69202 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-861X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T00:45:52Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Nutrition |
| spelling | doaj.art-8685bf7dc34d415996373eee88a692022023-01-05T17:12:58ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Nutrition2296-861X2023-01-01910.3389/fnut.2022.10071771007177Food insecurity and the role of food assistance programs in supporting diet quality during the COVID-19 pandemic in MassachusettsMatthew M. Lee0Mary Kathryn Poole1Rachel M. Zack2Lauren Fiechtner3Lauren Fiechtner4Lauren Fiechtner5Lauren Fiechtner6Eric B. Rimm7Eric B. Rimm8Erica L. Kenney9Erica L. Kenney10Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United StatesDepartment of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United StatesThe Greater Boston Food Bank, Boston, MA, United StatesThe Greater Boston Food Bank, Boston, MA, United StatesHarvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United StatesDivision of General Academic Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, MassGeneral Hospital for Children, Boston, MA, United StatesDepartment of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, MassGeneral Hospital for Children, Boston, MA, United StatesDepartment of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United StatesDepartment of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United StatesDepartment of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United StatesDepartment of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United StatesBackgroundEconomic and supply chain shocks resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 led to substantial increases in the numbers of individuals experiencing food-related hardship in the US, with programs aimed at addressing food insecurity like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and food pantries seeing significant upticks in utilization. While these programs have improved food access overall, the extent to which diet quality changed, and whether they helped mitigate diet quality disruptions, is not well understood.ObjectiveTo evaluate food insecurity, food pantry and/or SNAP participation associations with both diet quality as well as perceived disruptions in diet during the COVID-19 pandemic among Massachusetts adults with lower incomes.MethodsWe analyzed complete-case data from 1,256 individuals with complete data from a cross-sectional online survey of adults (ages 18 years and above) living in Massachusetts who responded to “The MA Statewide Food Access Survey” between October 2020 through January 2021. Study recruitment and survey administration were performed by The Greater Boston Food Bank. We excluded respondents who reported participation in assistance programs but were ineligible (n = 168), those who provided straightlined responses to the food frequency questionnaire component of the survey (n = 34), those with incomes above 300% of the federal poverty level (n = 1,427), those who completed the survey in 2021 (n = 8), and those who reported improved food insecurity (n = 55). Current dietary intake was assessed via food frequency questionnaire. Using Bayesian regression models, we examined associations between pandemic food insecurity, perceived disruption in diet, diet quality, and intakes of individual foods among those who completed a survey in 2020. We assessed interactions by pantry and SNAP participation to determine whether participation moderated these relationships.ResultsIndividuals experiencing food insecurity reported greater disruption in diet during the pandemic and reduced consumption of healthy/unhealthy foods. Pantry participation attenuated significant associations between food insecurity and lower consumption of unhealthy (b = −1.13 [95% CI −1.97 to −0.31]) and healthy foods (b = −1.07 [−1.82 to −0.34]) to null (unhealthy foods: −0.70 [−2.24 to 0.84]; healthy foods: 0.30 [−1.17 to 1.74]), whereas SNAP participation attenuated associations for healthy foods alone (from −1.07 [−1.82 to −0.34] to −0.75 [−1.83 to 0.32]). Results were robust to choice of prior as well as to alternative modeling specifications.ConclusionAmong adults with lower incomes, those experiencing food insecurity consumed less food, regardless of healthfulness, compared to individuals not experiencing food insecurity. Participation in safety-net programs, including SNAP and pantry participation, buffered this phenomenon. Continued support of SNAP and the food bank network and a focus on access to affordable healthy foods may simultaneously alleviate hunger while improving nutrition security.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.1007177/fulldiet qualityfood insecurityCOVID-19nutrition assistanceMassachusettsfood pantry |
| spellingShingle | Matthew M. Lee Mary Kathryn Poole Rachel M. Zack Lauren Fiechtner Lauren Fiechtner Lauren Fiechtner Lauren Fiechtner Eric B. Rimm Eric B. Rimm Erica L. Kenney Erica L. Kenney Food insecurity and the role of food assistance programs in supporting diet quality during the COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts Frontiers in Nutrition diet quality food insecurity COVID-19 nutrition assistance Massachusetts food pantry |
| title | Food insecurity and the role of food assistance programs in supporting diet quality during the COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts |
| title_full | Food insecurity and the role of food assistance programs in supporting diet quality during the COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts |
| title_fullStr | Food insecurity and the role of food assistance programs in supporting diet quality during the COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts |
| title_full_unstemmed | Food insecurity and the role of food assistance programs in supporting diet quality during the COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts |
| title_short | Food insecurity and the role of food assistance programs in supporting diet quality during the COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts |
| title_sort | food insecurity and the role of food assistance programs in supporting diet quality during the covid 19 pandemic in massachusetts |
| topic | diet quality food insecurity COVID-19 nutrition assistance Massachusetts food pantry |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.1007177/full |
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