Self-determination theory and food insecurity: a mixed-methods study of a client choice food pantry
Creators: name: Schrum, Jennifer E.
Publisher: name: No Publisher Supplied
Year: 2023

description: In this study, I contribute to the literature by testing a conceptual model of the relationships between a self-determination scale (diet autonomy, budget relief, and pantry connectedness) and food insecurity and their impact on quality of life (QoL) within a food pantry population. Food insecurity is contributing to several adverse health outcomes in the United States (U.S.). In 2021 13.5 million (10.2%) U.S. households were considered food insecure, 5.1 million (3.8%) were regarded as very low food secure, and 2.3 million (6.2%) households with children were food insecure (Coleman-Jensen et al., 2022). Food insecure households are consistently associated with poor physical and mental health outcomes such as nutrition deficiency, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression, stress, and anxiety (Gundersen &amp; Ziliak, 2015). Federal food assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and Women, Infants, and Children are available to address this social issue, with spending on these programs reaching an all-time high of $182 billion in 2021 (Economic Research Service, 2022). Food pantry programs provide an additional opportunity for food assistance. In 2020 6.7% of all US households used a food pantry, an increase of 4.4% from 2019 (Coleman-Jensen et al., 2021). The percentage of food-insecure households that used a food pantry was 36.5% (Coleman-Jensen et al., 2021). In the present study, I use a mixed-method convergent parallel design, including analysis of secondary quantitative and qualitative data collected in 2021 as part of a needs assessment with clients at a New Jersey food pantry (n = 250 survey participants; n = 29 interview participants). I use self-determination theory (SDT) was used to inform the methods and design of the research. The theory supports concepts of autonomy, competence, and relatedness toward positive health and behavioral outcomes, including QoL indicators (Deci &amp; Ryan, 1985). This includes an exploratory factor analysis that identifies underlying subscales (diet autonomy, budget relief, and pantry connectedness) of self-determination in the survey data, followed by a path analysis and corroboration of findings through the qualitative data. The path model shows a good fit for most of the hypothesized pathways. Through the model, I find that diet autonomy, budget relief, and connectedness to pantry all have direct, positive effects on QoL. In addition, I find budget relief to have an indirect relationship with QoL through food insecurity. Individuals with higher scores on budget relief are more likely to report lower food insecurity, and individuals with lower food insecurity tend to report a higher QoL. Through a joint display activity, the qualitative data corroborate the quantitative findings with areas of convergence, expansion, and complementarity in themes of diet selection, household budgeting, and pantry connections. Previous researchers on SDT, food and QoL have yet to include the food pantry client perspective or incorporate dimensions of food insecurity beyond dietetic standards. Implications from this study include utilizing a client choice model at food pantries, support for financial self-efficacy resources, and staff training related to destigmatization.