Nutrition-Related Knowledge, Knowledge Confidence, and Self-Efficacy of Caregivers in the Complementary Feeding Period

quality of foods received on a scale from 0-100 with 100 being the healthiest.Pantry operations (distribution: client-choice vs. prepackaged; sourcing: food bank, non-governmental, or mixed; volunteer support, nutrition education, opening hours) and client characteristics (e.g.income, education, race/ethnicity) were gathered via structured in-person surveys.Generalized Estimating Equations assessed associations between distribution method and FAST scores, accounting for client clustering.Other associations were analyzed using parametric and non-parametric tests in R.Results: Among 4 client-choice pantries (n54 clients) and 5 pre-packaged pantries (n56 clients), the overall mean FAST score was 63.0 (AE9.7).Pre-packaged pantries had significantly higher scores (66.2AE6.9)than client-choice pantries (59.6AE10.9)(p0.003).In pre-packaged pantries, FAST scores were not significantly associated with pantry characteristics.In client-choice pantries, client race/ethnicity was associated with FAST scores (p< 0.001), with Black/African American clients having the highest scores (60.6AE11.0).Other client characteristics were not found to be significant.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that pre-packaged pantries may offer healthier foods compared to client-choice pantries, although this could be influenced by client food preferences.Interestingly, within client-choice pantries, being Black/African American was associated with receiving healthier foods, highlighting the need for further research to explore nuances in pantry availability and client choice.