Where households across income levels shop for food is of central concern within a growing body of research focused on where people live relative to where they shop, what they purchase and eat, and how those choices influence the risk of obesity and chronic disease. We analyzed data from the National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey (FoodAPS) using a conditional logit model to det...

I n 2009, 14.7% of households were food insecure at some time during the year. In other words, members of those households did not have access at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life. This is arguably the most serious nutrition-related public health problem facing the U.S. today. The serious developmental consequences of food insecurity include compromised mental and physical he...

Senior participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has traditionally been lower than other groups among those eligible, with historical estimates below 50%. We examine impacts of state SNAP policies on program low-income senior (age 60 and older) nonsenior households using data from 2001 to 2014 December Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement. Our results s...

We use detailed data from a large retail panel to study the effect of participation in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) on composition and nutrient content foods purchased for at-home consumption. find that SNAP is small relative cross-sectional variation most outcomes we consider. Estimates model relating household’s food purchases current level spending imply closing gap betwe...

BACKGROUND Sugar-sweetened beverages are a target for reduction in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Concerns have been raised about sugar-sweetened beverages purchased with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. PURPOSE This paper describes purchases of non-alcoholic refreshment beverages among participants in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Special Suppleme...

Many safety net programs issue benefits as monthly lump-sum payments. We investigate how the timing of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit issuance affects food purchases and incidence transfer. Using scanner data from a large sample grocery stores state time variation in SNAP schedules, we document large, SNAP-induced intramonth cycles expenditures. However, find that reta...

INTRODUCTION Food insecurity is negatively associated with health; however, health needs may differ among people participating in food assistance programs. Our objectives were to characterize differences in health among people receiving different types of food assistance and summarize strategies for targeted recruitment and outreach of various food insecure populations. METHODS We examined he...