Dietary Quality of Americans by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation Status

Abstract

Context The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is an effective component in reducing food insecurity in the U.S. In the discussion of strategies to also help SNAP participants maximize diet quality, it is important to know their current dietary patterns and food choices. This paper provides a systematic review of recent U.S. studies on dietary quality, food consumption, and spending among SNAP participants as compared to income-eligible and higher-income nonparticipants. Evidence acquisition The review, completed in 2014, summarized studies that were peer-reviewed, published between January 2003 and August 2014, and provided data on dietary quality and intake of SNAP participants and nonparticipants. Evidence synthesis Twenty-five studies were included in this review. Daily caloric, macro-nutrient, and micronutrient intake of SNAP participants did not differ systematically from those of income-eligible nonparticipants; however, differences in dietary quality emerged. Adult SNAP participants scored lower on the Healthy Eating Index than either group of nonparticipants. Children's diets were similar among SNAP participants and low-income nonparticipants, but were less nutritious than diets of higher-income children. The evidence regarding sugar-sweetened beverage consumption was mixed, with most studies indicating significantly higher beverage intake among SNAP participants compared with higher-income nonparticipants, but no difference compared to income-eligible nonparticipants. Conclusions SNAP effectively alleviates food insecurity in terms of caloric, macronutrient, and micronutrient intake. Still, SNAP participants are struggling more than income-eligible and higher-income nonparticipants to meet key dietary guidelines. Future policies should ensure that this vital food assistance program addresses diet quality while reducing food insecurity.

Nutritional profile of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program household food and beverage purchases ,

“…To date, nearly all of this research has used self-report measures of dietary intake (11). Household food-purchase data, which are generated when participants scan the barcodes of the products that they have purchased and brought home, can provide a useful complement to self-reported dietary intake data.…”

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, energy balance, and weight gain

“…For example, if SNAP leads people to a diet high in refined carbohydrates (e.g., white sugar and flour), resulting in a chronic state of hyperinsulinemia (high blood insulin), increased fat deposition, and decreased physical activity, then RMR could decline causing weight to increase even if energy consumption had not changed (Khan and Flier, 2000;Taubes, 2008;Wells and Siervo, 2011). The evidence on differences in diet quality between SNAP participants and income-eligible non participants does not support this hypothesis (Andreyeva et al, 2015), and as we show below, we do not find that participants were gaining weight.…”

“…However, a recent systematic review of the evidence on the differences in energy consumption, dietary patterns (e.g., sugar sweetened beverage consumption), and diet quality between SNAP participants and income eligible non-participants found mixed results and no conclusive evidence that participation changes dietary patterns for the worse (Andreyeva et al, 2015).…”

Persistent disparities in obesity risk among public schoolchildren from childhood through adolescence

“…This could be related to the underlying socioeconomic disparities in food intake and physical activities. A recent review found that low-income children who participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) consumed a poorer diet than higher-income non-participating children (Andreyeva et al, 2015). Another review of adolescent physical activity by socioeconomic status indicated that adolescents with higher SES had more physical activities than those with low SES, although discordant findings also existed (Stalsberg and Pedersen, 2010).…”