Investigation of Access to Healthy Food and Healthy Behaviors in a University Food Pantry

Background

Food insecurity is a major concern in rural Appalachia and on college campuses. To combat the problem, Marshall University Department of Dietetics operates a campus food pantry serving students and the community by providing nutrient dense foods and education in an effort to improve access to healthy food and encourage healthy behaviors.

Objective

To better understand the background and needs of pantry clients to provide the most appropriate and needed services/education.

Study Design, Settings, Participants

A 24 item pilot survey was administered over two weeks via pen/paper or electronically to clients during a pantry visit. It utilized open ended, multiple choice, and Likert scale responses to gather data related to demographics, food and nutrition attitudes and behaviors, and suggestions/concerns.

Measurable Outcome/Analysis

Qualtrics was utilized to input and analyze survey data. Descriptive statistics were calculated related to client background, pantry use, hunger and food availability issues, current nutrition knowledge and behaviors, and potential for nutrition related behavior change.

Results

Twenty-six surveys were collected and analyzed and determined the majority of users (85%) were community members, not students, and half used the pantry weekly. Major grocery distributors were the other primary source of food procurement with only one client using a local farmers’ market. Seventy-three percent reported skipping meals in the past month due to lack of food at home. Nearly all (96.0%) had access to basic cooking tools and equipment, and half had prepared recipes at home that they received from the pantry. Overall, most “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that the pantry allows them to try a wide variety of healthy foods, is accessible, and improves self-efficacy related to preparing and consuming nutrient dense foods.

Conclusions

The pantry is meeting the primary objectives of improving access to healthy foods and encouraging healthy behaviors. Additionally, survey construction provides appropriate information to collect required data for making informed decisions regarding food procurement and nutrition education programming. The pilot survey was successful and ready for further distribution.

Funding

None