Table 1.
Hunger study participant characteristics by hunger level, food pantry users in ten food pantries in Eastern Massachusetts, June 2018–August 2018, n 611
| Variable | Overall N 611 |
Little to no hungera N 371 |
Moderate hungera N 123 |
Severe hungera N 117 |
P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N (%) | N (%) | N (%) | N (%) | ||
| Ageb [mean (std)] | 54⋅00 (15⋅5) | ||||
| 18–<30 | 48 (7⋅86) | 19 (5⋅12) | 13 (10⋅57) | 16 (13⋅68) | <0⋅01 |
| 30–<40 | 87 (14⋅24) | 53 (14⋅29) | 18 (14⋅63) | 16 (13⋅68) | |
| 40–<50 | 104 (17⋅02) | 58 (15⋅63) | 22 (17⋅89) | 24 (20⋅51) | |
| 50–<60 | 177 (28⋅97) | 100 (26⋅95) | 38 (30⋅89) | 39 (33⋅33) | |
| 60–<65 | 70 (11⋅46) | 47 (12⋅67) | 14 (11⋅38) | 9 (7⋅69) | |
| 65 and older | 125 (20⋅46) | 94 (25⋅34) | 18 (14⋅63) | 13 (11⋅11) | |
| Gender | 0⋅07 | ||||
| Male | 168 (27⋅50) | 104 (28⋅03) | 25 (20⋅33) | 39 (33⋅33) | |
| Female | 443 (72⋅50) | 267 (71⋅97) | 98 (79⋅67) | 78 (66⋅67) | |
| Race/Ethnicityc | 0⋅08 | ||||
| Non-Hispanic White | 230 (37⋅64) | 156 (42⋅05) | 36 (29⋅27) | 38 (32⋅48) | |
| Non-Hispanic Black | 162 (26⋅51) | 91 (24⋅53) | 38 (30⋅89) | 33 (28⋅21) | |
| Non-Hispanic Other | 49 (8⋅02) | 23 (6⋅20) | 12 (9⋅76) | 14 (11⋅97) | |
| Hispanic | 170 (27⋅82) | 101 (27⋅22) | 37 (30⋅08) | 32 (27⋅35) | |
| Educational attainment | 0⋅05 | ||||
| College Graduate (4 years) | 93 (15⋅22) | 69 (18⋅60) | 12 (9⋅76) | 12 (10⋅26) | |
| High school or some college | 368 (60⋅23) | 218 (58⋅76) | 74 (60⋅16) | 76 (64⋅96) | |
| Less than high school | 150 (24⋅55) | 84 (22⋅64) | 37 (30⋅08) | 29 (24⋅79) | |
| Marital status | <0⋅01 | ||||
| Married/Living with partner | 168 (27⋅50) | 119 (32⋅08) | 26 (21⋅41) | 23 (19⋅66) | |
| Separated or Divorced/Widowed | 225 (36⋅82) | 142 (38⋅27) | 45 (36⋅59) | 38 (32⋅48) | |
| Single/Never married | 218 (35⋅68) | 110 (29⋅65) | 52 (42⋅28) | 56 (47⋅86) | |
| Work status | 0⋅03 | ||||
| Full-time (>35 h) | 95 (15⋅55) | 64 (17⋅25) | 12 (9⋅76) | 19 (16⋅24) | |
| Part-time (<35 h) | 118 (19⋅31) | 63 (16⋅98) | 30 (24⋅39) | 25 (21⋅37) | |
| Homemaker | 50 (8⋅18) | 33 (8⋅89) | 11 (8⋅94) | 6 (5⋅13) | |
| Unemployed | 95 (15⋅55) | 52 (14⋅02) | 21 (17⋅07) | 22 (18⋅80) | |
| Disabled | 150 (24⋅55) | 84 (22⋅64) | 31 (25⋅20) | 35 (29⋅91) | |
| Retired | 94 (15⋅38) | 71 (19⋅14) | 15 (12⋅20) | 8 (6⋅84) | |
| Other | 9 (1⋅47) | 4 (1⋅08) | 3 (2⋅44) | 2 (1⋅71) | |
| Monthly household incomed | 0⋅01 | ||||
| $2000 or more | 81 (13⋅26) | 62 (16⋅71) | 11 (8⋅94) | 8 (6⋅84) | |
| $1500 to $1999 | 89 (14⋅57) | 58 (15⋅63) | 16 (13⋅01) | 15 (12⋅82) | |
| $1000 to $1499 | 149 (24⋅39) | 96 (25⋅88) | 24 (19⋅51) | 29 (24⋅79) | |
| $500 to $999 | 181 (29⋅62) | 93 (25⋅07) | 48 (39⋅02) | 40 (34⋅19) | |
| Less than $500 | 111 (18⋅17) | 62 (16⋅71) | 24 (19⋅51) | 25 (21⋅37) | |
| Household sizee | 0⋅08 | ||||
| 1 | 179 (29⋅30) | 118 (31⋅81) | 26 (21⋅14) | 35 (29⋅91) | |
| 2–3 | 234 (38⋅30) | 147 (39⋅62) | 46 (37⋅40) | 41 (35⋅04) | |
| 4–5 | 143 (23⋅40) | 79 (21⋅29) | 38 (30⋅89) | 26 (22⋅22) | |
| >5 | 55 (9⋅00) | 27 (7⋅28) | 13 (10⋅57) | 15 (12⋅82) | |
| Household compositionf | |||||
| Children in household | 257 (42⋅06) | 144 (38⋅81) | 64 (52⋅03) | 49 (41⋅88) | 0⋅04 |
| Seniors in household | 182 (29⋅79) | 127 (34⋅23) | 32 (26⋅02) | 23 (19⋅66) | <0⋅01 |
| Food assistance use in the past 30 d | |||||
| SNAP | 335 (54⋅83) | 202 (54⋅45) | 76 (61⋅79) | 57 (48⋅72) | 0⋅12 |
| WIC | 57 (9⋅33) | 39 (10⋅51) | 14 (11⋅38) | 4 (3⋅42) | 0⋅05 |
| Food pantryg | 536 (87⋅73) | 338 (91⋅11) | 107 (86⋅99) | 91 (77⋅78) | <0⋅01 |
| Any economic hardshiph | 369 (60⋅39) | 192 (51⋅57) | 81 (65⋅85) | 96 (82⋅05) | <0⋅01 |
Analyses were conducted using frequencies and Pearson's χ2 statistical test significance 0⋅05 indicated by boldface.
Hunger categories were defined as little to no hunger in the household (HHS score 0–1), moderate hunger in the household (HHS score 2–3) and severe hunger in the household (HHS 4–6) according to the HHS score.
Age categories were created based on pre-established age definitions from the US Census.
Individuals self-reported their race according to the pre-defined response options of Hispanic, non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic Other.
Income categories were created based on open-ended responses for annual/monthly income.
Household size categories were created based on the open-ended responses of the number of people in household.
Household composition for both children and seniors in the household were defined as at least one or more in the household.
Food pantry use was defined as use of a food pantry in the past 30 d aside from the visit of survey completion.
Economic hardship was defined as experiencing at least one of the following in the past 3 months: medical expenses, job loss, reduced pay/hours, divorce, rent or utilises, foreclosure/eviction notice, death of a family member or breadwinner, business financial difficulty, home repairs, loan repayment or loan late fees, legal expenses or other hardship.