The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Current and Proposed Restricted Food Expenditures

Leschewski, Andrea; Weatherspoon, Dave D.

doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2018.04.029

Cited by 4 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Policies aimed at restricting allowable purchases with SNAP benefits have also been discussed as a possible measure to improve the diet of SNAP participants. 8,55,56 These policy ideas range from restricting certain food items, such as SSB, to only allowing purchases of a specific set of foods, such as in the WIC program. A study by Leschewski and Weatherspoon theorized that restricting a few unhealthy foods, such as SSB, would unlikely alter eating behaviors as they account for a small percentage of total expenditures.…”

Section: 52mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A study by Leschewski and Weatherspoon theorized that restricting a few unhealthy foods, such as SSB, would unlikely alter eating behaviors as they account for a small percentage of total expenditures. 56 Restricting all non-WIC food items could result in an improvement in diet quality, but would also require SNAP households to change their total household food expenditures. This could result in unintended consequences, as money previously used for non-food expenses would need to be spent on food items that are no longer covered.…”

Section: 52mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Dietary Behaviors: Role of Community Food Environment

Lorts¹,

Tasevska²,

Adams

et al. 2019

Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

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Program (SNAP) is the country's largest nutrition assistance program for low-income populations. While SNAP has been shown to reduce food insecurity, research on the diet quality of program participants is inconsistent. Objective: This study examined if the community food environment is a potential moderator of the association between SNAP participation and eating behaviors. Design: This cross-sectional study utilized participant data from a telephone survey of 2,211 households in four cities in New Jersey. Data were collected from two cross-sectional panels from 2009-10 and 2014. Food outlet data were purchased from commercial sources and classified as supermarkets, small grocery stores, convenience stores, or limited service restaurants. Participants/setting: Analysis is limited to 983 respondents (588 SNAP participants) with household incomes below 130% of the Federal Poverty Level. Main outcome measures: Eating behaviors assessed as frequency of consum ption of fruit, vegetables, salad, and sugar sweetened beverages (SSB). Statistical analysis performed: Interaction and stratified analyses using gamma regression determined the differences in the association between SNAP participation and eating behaviors by the presence or absence of food outlets adjusted for covariates. Results: SNAP participation was associated with a higher frequency of consuming SSB (p<0.05) when respondents lived within ¼-½ mile of a small grocery store, supermarket, and limited service restaurant. SNAP participants who did not live close to a convenience store reported a lower frequency of SSB consumption (p=0.01), while those living more than ½ mile away from a supermarket reported a lower frequency of fruit consumption (p=0.03). Conclusions: This study suggests that the community food environment may play a role in moderating the association between SNAP participation and eating behaviors. While SNAP participation is associated with some unhealthy behaviors, this association may only hold true when respondents live in certain food environments.

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Section: 52mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: 52mentioning

confidence: 99%

Participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Dietary Behaviors: Role of Community Food Environment

Lorts¹,

Tasevska²,

Adams

et al. 2019

Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Currently, SNAP benefits can be used to purchase any food item with the exception of hot foods, prepared foods, alcohol, vitamins and meal supplements (20) . Since 2000, at least twenty-three states have proposed legislation to restrict the purchase of additional items under SNAP (21) . The majority of proposed restrictions aimed to prohibit the purchase of food and beverages with low nutritional quality, including sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and snack foods.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The majority of proposed restrictions aimed to prohibit the purchase of food and beverages with low nutritional quality, including sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and snack foods. Other legislation more broadly proposed to restrict the purchase of all unhealthy foods, as well as luxury foods (21)(22)(23)(24) .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Quantitative analyses of proposed SNAP purchase restrictions ability to alter participants' food expenditures are limited. Leschewski and Weatherspon (21) and Klerman et al (25) conclude that SSB and snack food restrictions are unlikely to impact food expenditures on the restricted items given that the majority of SNAP participants are infra-marginal, that is, their food expenditures exceed their SNAP benefit allotment. In contrast, Lusk and Weaver (26) , Harnack et al (27) and Cuffey et al (28) find that SNAP restrictions on SSB and/or snack foods would reduce restricted item expenditures and consumption among participants.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participation and current restricted food expenditures: implications for policy

Leschewski

Kuhns

2020

Public Health Nutr.

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Objective: National concerns over food insecurity and obesity have prompted legislation seeking to further restrict Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) purchases. The objective of this study is to provide insight on the potential impact of proposed purchase restrictions by comparing SNAP participant and income-eligible non-participants’ expenditures on current SNAP-restricted foods, that is, hot foods, prepared foods, alcohol, vitamins and meal supplements. Design: Cross-sectional study. Bivariate analysis and multivariable regression analysis with an instrumental variables approach were employed to compare the probability of purchasing and expenditures on current SNAP-restricted foods among SNAP participants and income-eligible non-participants. Setting: National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey, 2012–2013. Participants: 2513 households, of which 1316 were SNAP participants and 1197 were income-eligible non-participants. Results: Both the share of households purchasing and household expenditures on current SNAP-restricted foods were similar among SNAP participants and income-eligible non-participants. Conclusions: Results provide further empirical evidence that proposed SNAP purchase restrictions on sugar-sweetened beverages, snack foods and luxury foods are unlikely to have a meaningful effect on SNAP household food purchases.

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Double Up Food Bucks: A Qualitative Evaluation of Usage, Impact, Barriers, and Facilitators

Masci

Schoonover²,

Vermont

et al. 2020

Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior

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The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Current and Proposed Restricted Food Expenditures

Cited by 4 publications

References 17 publications

Participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Dietary Behaviors: Role of Community Food Environment

Participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Dietary Behaviors: Role of Community Food Environment

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participation and current restricted food expenditures: implications for policy

Double Up Food Bucks: A Qualitative Evaluation of Usage, Impact, Barriers, and Facilitators

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