nYOUtrition
This mixed methods study explores user demographics, experiences, and needs at U of T food banks to identify service gaps and inform improvements, including development of a new food bank and initiatives like vertical gardens.
Background
The purpose of our study was to address some of the gaps that exist in understanding food insecurity at UofT, and to understand UofT Food Bank usage and the characteristics and needs of its users. This information is vital to improving services to users and can be used to inform the developers of the new food bank at UofT. Therefore, this was an exploratory and descriptive study aimed to understand the services provided by the food bank,effectiveness of these services, and how we might enhance user experience. Our mixed methods study was divided into two main objectives: 1. A quantitative component to understand the current state of food services, the user demographics (age, gender, dependents, dietary restrictions, educational status) and preferences to determine whether it is necessary to improve the overall quality of food.
2. A qualitative component to understand the user experience at the food bank, by discovering personal insights about the food bank, its services, and the food it provides. The study consisted of two versions of a survey, one for UTSG Food Bank users (iii) and another for UTM Food Centre users (iv), the latter which included questions about vertical gardens; as well as two versions of a follow-up semi-structured interviews. Through surveys, we collected information such as basic demographics, food bank usage (type of food, frequency, etc.), food bank user experience, their needs and future improvements desired for the food bank, and insights about the vertical gardens at the UTM Food Centre. Once users completed the survey, they had the option to indicate if they were interested in participating in a semi-structured interview following an interview guide. Through interviews, we were able to better understand the user journey and experience.
Project team
- Kathleen Camaya
- Helen Liu
- Nabilah Juma
- Chelsea Foo-Fat
TRP supervisors
See our community directory for more on committee members.