Food Pantry Evaluation and Assessment at the Dominican University of California
Location
Guzman 111, Dominican University of California
Start Date
4-17-2019 1:40 PM
Student Type
Undergraduate
Faculty Mentor(s)
Michaela George, PhD, MPH
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
Food security continues to be a relevant and prevalent problem in the US that affects millions of people per year (1). In 2016, 12.3% of American households were food insecure. Although the percentage of food insecure households is experiencing a downward trend since the great recession in 2007, the current percentage is still higher than the percent of food insecure households before the recession (1).
Research shows that food insecurity is an indicator for negative health, academic, and social outcomes among elementary children leading to poor mathematical and reading performance, weight gain, and poor social development (2). The negative health outcome related to food insecurity and poor dietary intake in children, adults, and pregnant women is an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, some types of cancer, anemia, birth defects, low birth weight, preterm birth, and developmental risk (3). College students are among those that have the highest prevalence rates of food insecurity, sometimes having as much as four times the food insecurity prevalence on their campus as compared to their neighboring communities (4, 5, 6, 7, & 8).
Food banks and food pantries aim to reduce food insecurity within their communities by distributing free groceries to those in need. However, according to a systemic review of 37 studies conducted to examine the effectiveness of food pantries came to the conclusion that food pantries are only an effective short-term option unless they meet certain requirements (9).
The Dominican University of California is one of the universities that has implemented a food pantry program on campus to combat food insecurity in their student population. This research intends to evaluate and assess whether Dominican University's food pantry program called, "The Penguin Pantry," is an effective long-term option to reduce food insecurity severity. This study will use two methods to evaluate the program: an online survey completed by students using the food pantry, and a focus group with the volunteers of the food pantry program. The survey questions will be modeled after the publically available Regional Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Center of Excellence-West's (RNECE-W) Healthy Food Pantry Assessment Tool (10), and it will be formatted to fit an online survey template on SurveyMonkey.com. This study is important because this is the inaugural year of the food pantry program and the feedback that this study will provide can improve it for years to come.
( 1 ) Matthew Rabbitt, Alisha Coleman-Jensen, & Christian Gregory. (2017). Understanding the prevalence, severity, and distribution of food insecurity in the united states. Amber Waves, Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1940451146
( 2 ) Jyoti, D. F., Frongillo, E. A., & Jones, S. J. (2005). Food insecurity affects school children's academic performance, weight gain, and social skills. The Journal of Nutrition, 135(12), 2831-2839. doi:10.1093/jn/135.12.2831
( 3 ) Food Research & Action Center.Consequences of poor nutrition. Retrieved from http://www.frac.org/obesity-health/consequences-poor-nutrition
( 4 ) Hillmer, A., Timlin, M. T., Tayie, F. A., & Faber, A. (2017). Prevalence of food insecurity among college students at a small midwestern university. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
( 5 ) Holland, R., Barbera, A., Sadek, A., Koszewski, W., & Brooks, G. (2016). Prevalence of food insecurity among college students at a southeastern university. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 48(6), 382.e1. doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2016.03.013
( 6 ) Maroto, M., Snelling, A., & Linck, H. (2013). Food insecurity among community college students: Prevalence and relationship to GPA. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 45(4), S35. doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2013.04.095
( 7 ) Reynolds, E., Johnson, C., Jamieson, J. A., & Mawhinney, H. (2018). Prevalence and correlates of food insecurity among students attending a small, rural canadian university. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research : A Publication of Dietitians of Canada = Revue Canadienne De La Pratique Et De La Recherche En Dietetique : Une Publication Des Dietetistes Du Canada, 79(3), 125. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29543519
( 8 ) Patton-Lopez, M., Lopez-Cevallos, D., Cancel-Tirado, D., & Vazquez, L. (2014). Prevalence and correlates of food insecurity among students attending a midsize rural university in oregon. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 46(3), 209-214. doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2013.10.007
( 9 ) Bazerghi, C., McKay, F., & Dunn, M. (2016). The role of food banks in addressing food insecurity: A systematic review. Journal of Community Health, 41(4), 732-740. doi:10.1007/s10900-015-0147-5
( 10 ) Bush-Kaufman, A., Walsh, M. & Barale, K.Healthy food pantry assessment tool. Retrieved from https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/2088/2018/09/HFPAT_FINAL.pdf
Food Pantry Evaluation and Assessment at the Dominican University of California
Guzman 111, Dominican University of California
Food security continues to be a relevant and prevalent problem in the US that affects millions of people per year (1). In 2016, 12.3% of American households were food insecure. Although the percentage of food insecure households is experiencing a downward trend since the great recession in 2007, the current percentage is still higher than the percent of food insecure households before the recession (1).
Research shows that food insecurity is an indicator for negative health, academic, and social outcomes among elementary children leading to poor mathematical and reading performance, weight gain, and poor social development (2). The negative health outcome related to food insecurity and poor dietary intake in children, adults, and pregnant women is an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, some types of cancer, anemia, birth defects, low birth weight, preterm birth, and developmental risk (3). College students are among those that have the highest prevalence rates of food insecurity, sometimes having as much as four times the food insecurity prevalence on their campus as compared to their neighboring communities (4, 5, 6, 7, & 8).
Food banks and food pantries aim to reduce food insecurity within their communities by distributing free groceries to those in need. However, according to a systemic review of 37 studies conducted to examine the effectiveness of food pantries came to the conclusion that food pantries are only an effective short-term option unless they meet certain requirements (9).
The Dominican University of California is one of the universities that has implemented a food pantry program on campus to combat food insecurity in their student population. This research intends to evaluate and assess whether Dominican University's food pantry program called, "The Penguin Pantry," is an effective long-term option to reduce food insecurity severity. This study will use two methods to evaluate the program: an online survey completed by students using the food pantry, and a focus group with the volunteers of the food pantry program. The survey questions will be modeled after the publically available Regional Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Center of Excellence-West's (RNECE-W) Healthy Food Pantry Assessment Tool (10), and it will be formatted to fit an online survey template on SurveyMonkey.com. This study is important because this is the inaugural year of the food pantry program and the feedback that this study will provide can improve it for years to come.
( 1 ) Matthew Rabbitt, Alisha Coleman-Jensen, & Christian Gregory. (2017). Understanding the prevalence, severity, and distribution of food insecurity in the united states. Amber Waves, Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1940451146
( 2 ) Jyoti, D. F., Frongillo, E. A., & Jones, S. J. (2005). Food insecurity affects school children's academic performance, weight gain, and social skills. The Journal of Nutrition, 135(12), 2831-2839. doi:10.1093/jn/135.12.2831
( 3 ) Food Research & Action Center.Consequences of poor nutrition. Retrieved from http://www.frac.org/obesity-health/consequences-poor-nutrition
( 4 ) Hillmer, A., Timlin, M. T., Tayie, F. A., & Faber, A. (2017). Prevalence of food insecurity among college students at a small midwestern university. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
( 5 ) Holland, R., Barbera, A., Sadek, A., Koszewski, W., & Brooks, G. (2016). Prevalence of food insecurity among college students at a southeastern university. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 48(6), 382.e1. doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2016.03.013
( 6 ) Maroto, M., Snelling, A., & Linck, H. (2013). Food insecurity among community college students: Prevalence and relationship to GPA. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 45(4), S35. doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2013.04.095
( 7 ) Reynolds, E., Johnson, C., Jamieson, J. A., & Mawhinney, H. (2018). Prevalence and correlates of food insecurity among students attending a small, rural canadian university. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research : A Publication of Dietitians of Canada = Revue Canadienne De La Pratique Et De La Recherche En Dietetique : Une Publication Des Dietetistes Du Canada, 79(3), 125. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29543519
( 8 ) Patton-Lopez, M., Lopez-Cevallos, D., Cancel-Tirado, D., & Vazquez, L. (2014). Prevalence and correlates of food insecurity among students attending a midsize rural university in oregon. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 46(3), 209-214. doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2013.10.007
( 9 ) Bazerghi, C., McKay, F., & Dunn, M. (2016). The role of food banks in addressing food insecurity: A systematic review. Journal of Community Health, 41(4), 732-740. doi:10.1007/s10900-015-0147-5
( 10 ) Bush-Kaufman, A., Walsh, M. & Barale, K.Healthy food pantry assessment tool. Retrieved from https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/2088/2018/09/HFPAT_FINAL.pdf