Household food security and use of community food sources and food assistance programs among food shoppers in neighborhoods of low income and low food access

摘要

Food insecurity exceeds the 14% national level in severely disadvantaged households, and food shoppers seek food sources and assistance. In 513 predominantly African American households in South Carolina, USA, food security was a significant predictor of sources used, adjusted for socio-demographic characteristics (least-squares means = high food security, 2.10; marginal, 2.96; low, 2.91; very low, 3.40). The top sources were churches/social services, food bank/pantry, farmers’ market, family/friendeighbor, soup kitchen/shelter, and hunting/fishing/trapping. Adjusted odds were significantly greater among households of lower food security levels compared to high food security for food from church/social services, food bank/pantry, family/friendeighbors, soup kitchen/shelter, and community/school/church garden.