Description

For 2021-prior years, FSFDBNK indicates how often, if at all, in the past year the household received emergency food from a food bank, food pantry, church, or other place. Beginning in 2022, the questionnaire text for FSFDBNK was updated in the Food Security Supplement survey (see questionnaire text for exact phrasing), and as a result, the USDA ERS recommends that users do not compare estimates from 2022 with estimates from previous years for this variable (see the comparability tab for more details).

Only households with incomes below 185% of poverty and higher income households that indicate food access problems in response to preliminary screening questions are asked FSFDBNK and other questions in section on coping strategies to ameliorate or avoid food deprivation. Since 2001, the screening procedures for FSFDBNK match those currently applied to the food security section.

This variable is part of the Food Security Supplement.

Comparability

In 1995 and 1996, households were only asked whether they received emergency food. They have been coded as receiving food "at least once".

In 1998 and from 2001 through the present, households with incomes below 185% of poverty are automatically included in the universe. In addition, higher income households that report running short of food (FSSHORT) or not having enough to eat or enough of the kinds of foods they want to eat (FSFOODS) are consistently included. Prior to 2001, the screening procedures used to determine which households were included in the question universe varied. Researchers need to account for this when including other years.

Beginning in 2022, the community food and nutrition assistance section of the Food Security Supplement survey was modified. These changes included new variables about the receipt of free groceries and free meals, no longer asking about the receipt of free meals by older adults separately, and revisions to the phrasing of current questions, including the question for FSFDBNK. As a result, the USDA ERA recommends that users do not compare estimates from 2022 with estimates from previous years for this variable. See the Food Security Supplement sample notes for information about additional changes made in 2022.

Universe

Flags

Unharmonized Variables