Food Insecurity, Poor Diet Quality, and Obesity among Food Pantry Participants in Hartford, CT

ObjectiveExamine relationships between food security, diet quality, and body mass index (BMI) among food pantry users.MethodsConvenience sample of 212 food pantry clients in Hartford, CT from June, 2010 to May, 2011. Main outcomes included food security (United States Department of Agriculture module), fruit and vegetable consumption (Block Screener), and BMI (stadiometer and digital medical scale). Chi-square tests, Spearman correlations, and logistic regression models were analyzed.ResultsOver half of the sample (50.5%) had very low food security. Mean BMI was 29.5 kg/m2. Age was positively associated with food security (P < .01). Food-secure participants were twice as likely to eat fruit, vegetables, and fiber as food-insecure participants (P = .04). Women were 4 times as likely to be obese as men (P < .01), yet food insecurity was not associated with obesity in this sample.Conclusions and ImplicationsEnsuring the nutritional adequacy of donated food is an important consideration for food donors and pantry staff.