Table 1.
Describing Food Pantry Users in Arkansas: Sociodemographic Characteristics, Self-Reported Health Status, Food Pantry Use, and Financial Trade-Offs (n=50)
| Participant Characteristics | n (%) |
|---|---|
|
| |
| SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHICS | |
| Age (Median, IQR) | 48.0 (39.0–57.0) |
| Race/Ethnicity | |
| Non-Hispanic White | 21 (42%) |
| Hispanic | 14 (28%) |
| African American | 2 (4%) |
| American Indian/Alaskan Native | 4 (8%) |
| Pacific Islander | 8 (16%) |
| Multi-Race | 1 (2%) |
| Sex | |
| Male | 12 (24%) |
| Female | 38 (76%) |
| Insurance coverage | |
| No | 20 (40%) |
| Yes | 30 (60%) |
| Education level | |
| Less than HS | 19 (38%) |
| HS diploma/GED | 19 (38%) |
| Some college/College grad | 12 (24%) |
| Employment status | |
| Employed | 14 (28%) |
| Not employed | 22 (44%) |
| Retired | 3 (6%) |
| Unable to work | 11 (22%) |
| Food insecure as measured by screener | |
| No | 1 (2%) |
| Yes | 49 (98%) |
| Homeless or living in temporary housing | |
| No | 47 (94%) |
| Yes | 3 (6%) |
| Currently receiving SNAP benefits | |
| No | 35 (70%) |
| Yes | 15 (30%) |
| FOOD PANTRY USE | |
| How many times in the past 30 days did you obtain food from food pantries? (Median, IQR) | 2.0 (1.0–2.5) |
| For how long have you obtained food from food pantries? | |
| More than 5 years | 12 (24%) |
| Between 2–5 years | 18 (36%) |
| Between 1–2 years | 7 (14%) |
| Between 6 months and 1 year | 5 (10%) |
| Less than 6 months | 8 (16%) |