Geospatial Reach of the Maryland COVID-19 School Meals Response: Spring 2020

OBJECTIVE: Examine characteristics of pandemic meal site (n = 602) location and meals served per site in Maryland, Spring 2020, following federal/state waivers for local meal site placement decision-making. METHODS: Using geographic information systems, we connected meal sites to census tract-level data and generated service areas from sites and distances from population-weighted census tract centroids to the closest pandemic meal site. Regression analysis determined associations of census tract pandemic meal site count and meals served per site with socioeconomic and demographic variables. RESULTS: Census tracts with more meal sites were urban (P < 0.001), food deserts (P < 0.001), and had higher percentages of children in poverty (P < 0.001). Sites serving fewer meals were in food deserts (P < 0.001) and areas with more children in poverty (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Waivers allowing local meal site placement decision-making supported meal sites in high-need areas. Geospatial approaches could optimize site locations to ensure maximum reach to populations in need. Additional supports may be needed to ensure children in poverty areas receive meals distributed at these sites.