Food insecurity and the role of food assistance programs in supporting diet quality during the COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts

BackgroundEconomic and supply chain shocks resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 led to substantial increases in the numbers of individuals experiencing food-related hardship in the US, with programs aimed at addressing food insecurity like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and food pantries seeing significant upticks in utilization. While these programs have improved food access overall, the extent to which diet quality changed, and whether they helped mitigate diet quality disruptions, is not well understood.ObjectiveTo evaluate food insecurity, food pantry and/or SNAP participation associations with both diet quality as well as perceived disruptions in diet during the COVID-19 pandemic among Massachusetts adults with lower incomes.MethodsWe analyzed complete-case data from 1,256 individuals with complete data from a cross-sectional online survey of adults (ages 18 years and above) living in Massachusetts who responded to “The MA Statewide Food Access Survey” between October 2020 through January 2021. Study recruitment and survey administration were performed by The Greater Boston Food Bank. We excluded respondents who reported participation in assistance programs but were ineligible (n = 168), those who provided straightlined responses to the food frequency questionnaire component of the survey (n = 34), those with incomes above 300% of the federal poverty level (n = 1,427), those who completed the survey in 2021 (n = 8), and those who reported improved food insecurity (n = 55). Current dietary intake was assessed via food frequency questionnaire. Using Bayesian regression models, we examined associations between pandemic food insecurity, perceived disruption in diet, diet quality, and intakes of individual foods among those who completed a survey in 2020. We assessed interactions by pantry and SNAP participation to determine whether participation moderated these relationships.ResultsIndividuals experiencing food insecurity reported greater disruption in diet during the pandemic and reduced consumption of healthy/unhealthy foods. Pantry participation attenuated significant associations between food insecurity and lower consumption of unhealthy (b = −1.13 [95% CI −1.97 to −0.31]) and healthy foods (b = −1.07 [−1.82 to −0.34]) to null (unhealthy foods: −0.70 [−2.24 to 0.84]; healthy foods: 0.30 [−1.17 to 1.74]), whereas SNAP participation attenuated associations for healthy foods alone (from −1.07 [−1.82 to −0.34] to −0.75 [−1.83 to 0.32]). Results were robust to choice of prior as well as to alternative modeling specifications.ConclusionAmong adults with lower incomes, those experiencing food insecurity consumed less food, regardless of healthfulness, compared to individuals not experiencing food insecurity. Participation in safety-net programs, including SNAP and pantry participation, buffered this phenomenon. Continued support of SNAP and the food bank network and a focus on access to affordable healthy foods may simultaneously alleviate hunger while improving nutrition security

Direction distributions of neutrons and reference values of the personal dose equivalent in workplace fields

Within the EC project EVIDOS, double-differential (energy and direction) fluence spectra were determined by means of novel direction spectrometers. By folding the spectra with fluence-to-dose equivalent conversion coefficients, contributions to H*(10) for 14 directions, and values of the personal dose equivalent Hp(10) and the effective dose E for 6 directions of a person's orientation in the field were determined. The results of the measurements and calculations obtained within the EVIDOS project in workplace fields in nuclear installations in Europe, i.e., at Krümmel (boiling water reactor and transport cask), at Mol (Venus research reactor and fuel facility Belgonucléaire) and at Ringhals (pressurised reactor and transport cask) are presente

Dual-Pump Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering Temperature and CO2 Concentration Measurements

Measurements of temperature and CO2 concentration using dual-pump coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering, (CARS) are described. The measurements were performed in laboratory flames,in a room-temperature gas cell, and on an engine test stand at the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. A modeless dye laser, a single-mode Nd:YAG laser, and an unintensified back-illuminated charge-coupled device digital camera were used for these measurements. The CARS measurements were performed on a single-laser-shot basis. The standard deviations of the temperatures and CO2 mole fractions determined from single-shot dual-pump CARS spectra in steady laminar propane/air flames were approximately 2 and 10% of the mean values of approximately 2000 K and 0.10, respectively. The precision and accuracy of single-shot temperature measurements obtained from the nitrogen part of the dual-pump CARS system were investigated in detail in near-adiabatic hydrogen/air/CO2 flames. The precision of the CARS temperature measurements was found to be comparable to the best results reported in the literature for conventional two-laser, single-pump CARS. The application of dual-pump CARS for single-shot measurements in a swirl-stabilized combustor fueled with JP-8 was also demonstrated

Characterisation of mixed neutron-photon workplace fields at nuclear facilities by spectrometry (energy and direction) within the EVIDOS project

Within the EC project EVIDOS, 17 different mixed neutron-photon workplace fields at nuclear facilities (boiling water reactor, pressurised water reactor, research reactor, fuel processing, storage of spent fuel) were characterised using conventional Bonner sphere spectrometry and newly developed direction spectrometers. The results of the analysis, using Bayesian parameter estimation methods and different unfolding codes, some of them especially adapted to simultaneously unfold energy and direction distributions of the neutron fluence, showed that neutron spectra differed strongly at the different places, both in energy and direction distribution. The implication of the results for the determination of reference values for radiation protection quantities (ambient dose equivalent, personal dose equivalent and effective dose) and the related uncertainties are discusse

Evaluation of individual dosimetry in mixed neutron and photon radiation fields (EVIDOS). Part II: conclusions and recommendations

The paper presents the main conclusions and recommendations derived from the EVIDOS project, which is supported by the European Commission within the 5th Framework Programme. EVIDOS aims at evaluating state of the art neutron dosimetry techniques in representative workplaces of the nuclear industry with complex mixed neutron-photon radiation fields. This analysis complements a series of individual papers which present detailed results and it summarises the main findings from a practical point of view. Conclusions and recommendations are given concerning characterisation of radiation fields, methods to derive radiation protection quantities and dosemeter result

Neutron area survey instrument measurements in the EVIDOS project

Neutron survey instruments have been exposed at all the measurement locations used in the EVIDOS project. These results have an important impact in the interpretation of the results from the project, since operationally the survey instrument will be used for an initial assessment of and routine monitoring of the ambient dose equivalent dose rate. Additionally, since the response of these instruments is in some cases very well characterised, their systematic deviations from the reference quantities provide an important verification of the determination of those quantitie

Achievements in workplace neutron dosimetry in the last decade: lessons learned from the EVIDOS project

The availability of active neutron personal dosemeters has made real time monitoring of neutron doses possible. This has obvious benefits, but is only of any real assistance if the dose assessments made are of sufficient accuracy and reliability. Preliminary assessments of the performance of active neutron dosemeters can be made in calibration facilities, but these can never replicate the conditions under which the dosemeter is used in the workplace. Consequently, it is necessary to assess their performance in the workplace, which requires the field in the workplace to be fully characterised in terms of the energy and direction dependence of the fluence. This paper presents an overview of developments in workplace neutron dosimetry but concentrates on the outcomes of the EVIDOS project, which has made significant advances in the characterisation of workplace fields and the analysis of dosemeter responses in those field

Evaluation of individual dosimetry in mixed neutron and photon radiation fields (EVIDOS). Part I: scope and methods of the project

Supported by the European Commission, the EVIDOS project started in November 2001 with the broad goal of evaluating state of the art dosimetry techniques in representative workplaces of the nuclear industry. Seven European institutes joined efforts with end users at nuclear power plants, at fuel processing and reprocessing plants, and at transport and storage facilities. A comprehensive programme was devised to evaluate capabilities and limitations of standard and innovative personal dosemeters in relation to the mixed neutron-photon fields of concern to the nuclear industry. This paper describes the criteria behind the selection of dosimetry techniques and workplaces that were analysed, as well as the organisation of the measurement campaigns. Particular emphasis was placed on the evaluation of a variety of electronic personal dosemeters, either commercially available or previously developed by the partners. The estimates provided by these personal dosemeters were compared to reference values of dose equivalent quantities derived from spectrometry and fluence-to-dose equivalent conversion coefficients. Spectrometry was performed both with conventional multisphere and with some original instrumentation providing energy and direction resolution, based on silicon detectors and superheated drop detectors mounted on or in spherical moderators. The results were collected in a large, searchable database and are intended to be used in the harmonisation of dosimetric procedures for mixed radiation fields and for the approval of dosimetry services in Europ

Evaluation of individual monitoring in mixed neutron/photon fields: mid-term results from the EVIDOS project

EVIDOS is an EC sponsored project that aims at an evaluation and improvement of radiation protection dosimetry in mixed neutron/photon fields. This is performed through spectrometric and dosimetric investigations during different measurement campaigns in representative workplaces of the nuclear industry. The performance of routine and, in particular, novel personal dosemeters and survey instruments is tested in selected workplace fields. Reference values for the dose equivalent quantities, H*(10) and Hp(10) and the effective dose E, are determined using different spectrometers that provide the energy distribution of the neutron fluence and using newly developed devices that determine the energy and directional distribution of the neutron fluence. The EVIDOS project has passed the mid-term, and three measurement campaigns have been performed. This paper will give an overview and some new results from the third campaign that was held in Mol (Belgium), around the research reactor VENUS and in the MOX producing plant of Belgonucléair

Electronic neutron personal dosemeters: their performance in mixed radiation fields in nuclear power plants

This work describes spectral distributions of neutrons obtained as function of energy and direction at four workplace fields at the Krümmel reactor in Germany. Values of personal dose equivalent Hp(10) and effective dose E are determined for different directions of a person's orientation in these fields and readings of personal neutron dosemeters—especially electronic dosemeters—are discussed with respect to Hp(10) and