Table 1.
Basic characteristics of the studies included in the current review of food pantry-based interventions in the USA
| Study | Study design | Sample size | Age (years) | Sex | Disease status | Follow-up duration (weeks) | Setting | Type of intervention |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson et al. (2017)( 18 ) | RCT | 443 | Range: ≥18 | 3 | Food pantry | Food packaging intervention | ||
| Caspi et al. (2017)( 20 ) | Pre–post | 45 | Mean (sd): 42 (12·7) Range: 19–67 | M: 6 (13%) F: 39 (87%) | 6 | Food shelves | Cooking and nutrition education | |
| Martin et al. (2016)( 29 ) | RCT | 227 | Mean (sd): 51·4 (11·9) | M: 92 (40·5%) F: 135 (59·5%) | 72 | Food pantry | Freshplace intervention | |
| Clarke and Evans (2016)( 30 ) | RCT | 236 | Range: ≥18 | 1 | Food pantry | Vegetable, recipes and food-use tips | ||
| Seligman et al. (2015)( 21 ) | Pre–post | 687 | Mean: 56·6 | M: 179 (26%) F: 508 (74%) | Diabetes | 24 | Food bank | Diabetes-appropriate food intervention |
| Martin et al. (2013)( 22 ) | RCT | 228 | Control group: Mean (sd): 51·2 (11·8) Experiment group: Mean (sd): 51·8 (12·0) | M: 92 (40%) F: 136 (60%) | Control group: Diabetes: 28 (24%) High blood pressure: 72 (63%) Overweight/obesity: 83 (74%) Experimental group: Diabetes: 31 (27%) High blood pressure: 77 (68%) Overweight/obesity: 76 (68%) | 52 | Food pantry | Freshplace intervention |
| Flynn et al. (2013)( 24 ) | Pre–post | 63 | Mean (sd): 51·8 (16·6) | M: 10 (16%) F: 53 (84%) | 6 | Food pantry and low-income housing site | Cooking demonstration and nutrition education | |
| Yao et al. (2013)( 31 ) | Pre–post (with a control group) | 409 | Range: 18–91 Control group: Mean: 45 Experiment group: Mean: 41 | Control group: M: 4 (2%) F: 194 (98%) Experiment group: M: 4 (2%) F: 201 (98%) | 4 | Community cupboard pantry | Nutrition education | |
| Martin et al. (2012)( 25 ) | RCT | 233 | Range: ≥18 Mean: 51 | Control group (n 114): M: 48 (42%) F: 66 (58%) Experiment group (n 112): M: 44 (39%) F: 68 (61%) | Control group: Household member with diabetes: 30 (27%) Household member with high blood pressure: 76 (68%) Overweight: 25 (29%) Obesity: 31 (36%); Experiment group: Household member with diabetes: 28 (25%) Household member with high blood pressure: 71 (62%) Overweight: 32 (38%) Obesity: 31 (37%) | 72 | Food pantry | Freshplace intervention |
| Clarke et al. (2011)( 26 ) | RCT | 706 | Range: ≥18 | 6 | Food pantry | Nutrition education and recipe provision | ||
| Biel et al. (2009)( 27 ) | Pre–post | 1087 | Range: ≥18 | Urban food pantry: 83 (22%) require referral for care Rural food pantry: 196 (28%) require referral for care | One urban food pantry and one rural food pantry | Nutrition education and cooking demonstration | ||
| Eicher-Miller et al. (2009)( 32 ) | RCT | 219 | Range: ≥18 | F: 219 (100%) | 5 | Client homes and community locations | Food stamp nutrition education | |
| Greder et al. (2007)( 28 ) | Pre–post | 997 | Median: 41 | M: 469 (47%) F: 528 (53%) | Household member with diabetes: 239 (24%) Household member with heart disease: 70 (7%) Household member with high blood pressure: 329 (33%) Household member with asthma: 289 (29%) Household member with allergies: 339 (34%) | Food pantry | Nutrition education | |
| Miyamoto et al. (2006)( 33 ) | Pre–post | 375 families | Range: ≥4 | 8 | Food pantry | Nutrition education |
RCT, randomized controlled trial; M, male; F, female.