THURS-085 - Characterizing School-based Food Distributions: Opportunities for Community Health Educators to Engage with the Food Insecure?

Brief Abstract Summary: In some parts of the country, close to 40% of food insecure households were classified as newly food insecure in light of the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. To address childhood food insecurity post-pandemic, many communities have turned their efforts towards the use of the school as an emergency food distribution site, providing access to food items for families at a trusted, easily-accessible community location. However, no research to date has considered the characteristics that are shared among schools who choose to distribute food items to children in need. This analysis sought to begin the conversation by considering primary characteristics of public schools in one Midwestern state who operate emergency food distributions. These factors may impact the messaging used by community health educators in these settings in important ways. Learn more about these findings and their implications on food equity in this presentation.

Detailed abstract description: In some parts of the country, close to 40% of food insecure households were classified as newly food insecure in light of the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic (Niles et al., 2020). To address childhood food insecurity post-pandemic, many communities have turned their efforts towards the use of the school as an emergency food distribution site, providing access to meals and food items for families impacted by the pandemic at a trusted, easily-accessible community location. However, no research to date has considered the characteristics that are shared among schools who choose to distribute food items to children in need. These characteristics may influence the ways in which these school food distributions may serve as sites for community health education with the food insecure. This analysis sought to begin the conversation by considering three primary characteristics of public schools in one Midwestern state who operate emergency food distributions, including school level (elementary/middle vs. high school), rural/urban classification, and percentage of students receiving free/reduced lunch benefits. These factors may impact the messaging used by community health educators in these settings in important ways.
Indiana was selected as a state with a representative level of childhood food insecurity that closely matches that of many other Midwestern states (12.5%). In each food bank service area, every public school was contacted by phone and inquired regarding their provision of emergency food items using in-school pantries or mobile markets. Using publicly-accessible databases, current enrollment figures, the percentage of students receiving free/reduced lunch, and the USDA rural/urban classification of the county was collected and tabulated to average figures across each participating school. The results of this analysis will be shared.
Recent scholarship has suggested an expanded role for schools within communities, investigating how they may offer more to their communities than formal education. The use of the school as a physical space and social hub for emergency food distribution within a community has increased in popularly following the COVID pandemic, but there is significant work to be done in encouraging wider utilization, particularly in elementary/middle school settings, rural areas, and schools where moderate need is present. Health educators in these communities could serve an important role in helping schools in their promotion of these sites. Additionally, the messaging used by health educators to encourage healthy lifestyle choices for the food insecure can be informed by the characteristics of these particular sites, which will be explored.