Table 1 Characteristics of food bank clients at all three locations (n = 276)

Age [Mean (SD), min-max, median]

47.0 (±14.7)

49.1 (±13.8)

47.3 (±14.4)

47.7 (±14.4)

0.655

19–83, 50.0

25–76, 47.5

21–84, 45.0

19–84, 47.0

Sex [%]

0.007

female

54.1

78.1

60.5

62.3

male

45.9

21.9

39.5

37.7

Nationality [%] ^a)

0.074

Germany

90.7

82.1

86.1

other

9.3

17.9

13.9

Country of birth [%] ^a)

0.000

Germany

86.5

53.2

68.6

other

13.5

46.8

31.4

School education [%]

0.326

university entrance level

21.9

37.1

23.2

25.9

secondary education

35.4

22.6

26.8

28.9

primary education

35.4

32.3

44.6

38.5

none/ not yet

7.3

8.1

5.4

6.7

Highest professional qualification [%]

0.986

university

19.1

23.3

18.8

20.0

apprenticeship

52.1

43.3

53.5

50.6

still making apprenticeship

5.3

3.3

2.0

3.5

no work education

23.4

30.0

25.7

25.9

Source of income [%]

0.129

ALG I (1^st year of unemployment)

4.1

6.5

3.5

4.4

ALG II (after 1^st year of unemployment pension)

52.0

40.2

36.8

43.1

other (e.g. BaföG, fulltime job, part-time job,

20.4

30.6

22.8

23.7

apprenticeship)

23.5

22.6

36.8

28.8

Household income [%] ^a)

0.120

under 750€

71.7

63.3

67.0

750–950€

16.5

11.0

13.6

950–1200€

6.2

12.8

9.7

1200–1400€

3.1

10.1

6.8

Over 1400€

3.1

2.8

2.9

Single parent [%] ^a)

17.0

33.8

24.4

0.012

Single household [%]

59.2

29.7

27.9

39.8

0.000

Household size [Mean (SD), min-max]

1.7 (±1.1), 1–7

2.8 (±1.7), 1–9

2.5 (±1.4), 1–6

2.3 (±1.5), 1–9

0.000

Marital status [%]

0.000

single

39.2

9.4

27.2

27.3

married

14.4

51.6

40.4

33.8

divorced

43.3

29.7

28.9

34.2

widow

3.1

9.4

2.4

4.7