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Table 1 Complete list of variables, questions and measurement utilized in this analysis

From: Home food procurement impacts food security and diet quality during COVID-19

Variable Name

Question/Scale

Measurement

Food Secure

6 item food security module from USDA

1 = Food Secure (0 or 1 affirmatives in module), 0 = Food Insecure (Affirmative to 2 or more questions in module)

Dietary Quality Variables:

 Fruit Intake

About how many cups of fruit (including 100% pure fruit juice) do you eat or drink each day? Examples of 1 cup for fruit include 1 small apple, 1 large banana, 1 cup (8 oz.) of 100% juice or canned fruit, or ½ cup of dried fruit.

0 = None, 1 = ½ cup or less, 2 = ½ to 1 cup, 3 = 1–2 cups, 4 = 2–3 cups, 5 = 3–4 cups, 6 = 4 cups or more

 Vegetable Intake

About how many cups of vegetables (including 100% vegetable juice) do you eat or drink each day? Examples of 1 cup of vegetables include 1 cup of cooked leafy greens, 2 cups of lettuce or raw greens, 12 baby carrots, 1 medium potato, or 1 large raw tomato.

 Red Meat Intake

How often did you eat red meat (such as beef, pork, ham, sausage, veal lamb)? Do not include chicken, turkey or seafood. Include red meat you had in sandwiches, lasagna, stew, and other mixtures.

0 = Never, 1 = 1 time last month, 2 = 2–3 times last month, 3 = 1 time per week, 4 = 2 times per week, 5 = 3–4 times per week, 6 = 5–6 times per week, 7 = 1 time per day, 8 = 2 or more times per day

 Processed Meat Intake

How often did you eat any processed meat, such as bacon, lunch meats, or hot dogs? Include processed meats you had in sandwiches, soups, pizza, casseroles, and other mixtures. Processed meats are those preserved by smoking, curing, or salting, or by the addition of preservatives.

 Fruit/Vegetable Change

I have been eating more, less, or about the same amount of fruits and vegetables per day.

1 = Less, 2 = Same, 3 = More

 Red/Processed Meat Change

I have been eating more, less, or about the same amount of processed meat, lunch meats, and red meats.

Home Food Procurement Variables:

 COVID-19 HFP (HFP)

Indicated that the household accessed local food through gardening, fishing, foraging, hunting, backyard livestock or using your own canned good at any points since the COVID-19 pandemic began

Binary variable (1 = home food procurement activity, 0 = no activity)

 Garden Since

Respondent that has gardened since COVID-19

1 = Had a garden since COVID-19, 0 = No garden since COVID-19

 Fishing Since

Respondent that has fished since COVID-19

1 = Fished since COVID-19, 0 = No fishing since COVID-19

 Foraging Since

Respondent that has foraged since COVID-19

1 = Foraged since COVID-19, 0 = No foraging since COVID-19

 Hunting Since

Respondent that has hunted since COVID-19

1 = Hunted since COVID-19, 0 = No hunting since COVID-19

 Livestock Since

Respondent that has backyard livestock since COVID-19

1 = Had backyard livestock since COVID-19, 0 = No backyard livestock since COVID-19

 Canning Since

Respondent that has used own canned goods since COVID-19

1 = Used own canned goods since COVID-19, 0 = No canning since COVID-19

 HFP More

Subset of respondents that pursued HFP- Any respondent that indicated they pursued a HFP activity “for the first time this year”, or “I have previously done this, but did it more this year”

Binary variable (1 = more intense HFP, 0 = no change in activity, or pursued less this year)

 Gardens More

Any respondent that indicated they pursued gardening “for the first time this year”, or “I have previously done this, but did it more this year”

1 = More intense or new, 0 = same or less than before

 Fishing More

Any respondent that indicated they pursued fishing “for the first time this year”, or “I have previously done this, but did it more this year”

 Foraging More

Any respondent that indicated they pursued foraging “for the first time this year”, or “I have previously done this, but did it more this year”

 Hunting More

Any respondent that indicated they pursued hunting “for the first time this year”, or “I have previously done this, but did it more this year”

 Livestock More

Any respondent that indicated they pursued backyard livestock “for the first time this year”, or “I have previously done this, but did it more this year”

 Canning More

Any respondent that indicated they pursued canning “for the first time this year”, or “I have previously done this, but did it more this year”

Demographic Variables:

 Female

Which of the following best describes your gender identity?

1 = Female, 0 = Male

 Children in HH

How many people in the following age groups currently live in your household (including you)? Household includes people currently living within your home, including family and non-family members.

1 = Any children in household, 0 = No children in household

 Over 55

Please select your age group

1 = Respondent 55 or older, 0 = Respondent 55 or younger

 Race/Ethnicity (BIPOC/and or/Hispanic)*

What is your race? Are you of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin?

1 = Respondent identify as Asian, Black or African America, Native America, White, Mixed Race, and/or Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin, 0 = Respondent identifies as white and non-Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin

 Negative Job Change

Have you or anyone in your household experienced a loss of income or job since the COVID-19 outbreak (March 11th)?

1 = Any job change (job loss, reduced hours or income at job, furloughed), 0 = No job change

 Less $50 K

Which of the following best describes your household income range in 2019 before taxes?

1 = Household income below $50,000 a year, 0 = Household income above $50,000 a year

 HH Size

How many people in the following age groups currently live in your household (including you)? Household includes people currently living within your home, including family and non-family members.

1 = 1 person, 2 = 2 people, 3 = 3 people, 4 = 4 people, 5 = 5 people, 6 = 6 people, 7 = 7 people or more

  1. * We would like to acknowledge we aggregate this data because of the low number of respondents identifying as BIPOC and/or Hispanic. While this survey is representative of Vermont state characteristics on race and ethnicity, the sample size is too low to analyze racial and ethnic groups in a disaggregated format in models. We have disaggregated race and ethnicity in reporting food security statistics in the results, but aggregate race and ethnicity together for modeling and matching