Massengale Kelley E C, Erausquin Jennifer Toller, Old Michelle
Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina at Greensboro (USA), 437 Coleman Building, PO Box 26170, Greensboro, NC, 27402, USA.
The Diaper Bank of North Carolina (USA), P.O. Box 16043, Durham, NC, 27704, USA.
Matern Child Health J. 2017 Oct;21(10):1985-1994. doi: 10.1007/s10995-017-2317-9.
Objectives This paper aims to describe low-income recipients of a community-based diaper bank and the multiple daily challenges they face. Our paper seeks to document the health, social, and financial outcomes recipients experienced after receiving assistance. Methods We surveyed families (n = 150) about their experiences receiving diapers from a diaper bank in the southeastern United States. Additionally, we conducted short, focused interviews with families (n = 15) about outcomes after receiving diapers. Results Families experience regularly a range of challenges meeting basic needs. These difficulties include high unmet needs for transportation, food, and nonfood essentials such as personal hygiene items. Families experiencing the greatest difficulty in paying utility or medical bills were significantly more likely to have a high level of diaper need compared to families facing these challenges less often (AORs ranging from 3.40 to 9.39). As a result of receiving diapers, families reported positive health, social, and economic outcomes. Families reported positive changes in parental mood; improved child health and happiness; increased opportunities for childcare, work, and school attendance; and the ability to divert household finances toward other basic needs, including utilities and medical care. Conclusions for Practice The monetary value of the supplemental provision of diapers is a small investment in affected families' economic, social, and health outcomes. The positive effects continue far longer than the diapers provided. We demonstrate the social value of such an operation, and recommend the expansion of federal, state, and local safety net programs to help low-income families secure a steady supply of diapers.
目标 本文旨在描述一个社区尿布银行的低收入受助者及其每天面临的多重挑战。我们的论文旨在记录受助者在获得援助后所经历的健康、社会和经济方面的结果。方法 我们对美国东南部一个尿布银行的受助家庭（n = 150）进行了关于他们领取尿布经历的调查。此外，我们对一些家庭（n = 15）进行了简短而有针对性的访谈，了解他们领取尿布后的情况。结果 家庭在满足基本需求方面经常遇到一系列挑战。这些困难包括交通、食品以及个人卫生用品等非食品必需品方面的大量未满足需求。与较少面临这些挑战的家庭相比，在支付水电费或医疗账单方面遇到最大困难的家庭尿布需求程度高得多（优势比范围为3.40至9.39）。由于领取了尿布，家庭报告了积极的健康、社会和经济成果。家庭报告称父母情绪有积极变化；孩子的健康和幸福感得到改善；育儿、工作和上学的机会增加；并且有能力将家庭财务用于其他基本需求，包括水电费和医疗保健。实践结论 额外提供尿布的货币价值对于受影响家庭的经济、社会和健康成果而言是一项小投资。其积极影响持续的时间远远超过所提供的尿布。我们展示了这样一项行动的社会价值，并建议扩大联邦、州和地方的安全网计划，以帮助低收入家庭确保稳定的尿布供应。
