Research Archive 2018

SNAP

• Dorfman, J.H., Gregory, C., Liu, Z. and Huo, R., 2018. Re-examining the SNAP benefit cycle allowing for heterogeneity. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy.

  This article investigates differences across SNAP participants in the extent to which benefits are spent early in the month.

 

• Todd, J.E. and Gregory, C., 2018. Changes in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program real benefits and daily caloric intake among adults. Food Policy.

  How do real (inflation-adjusted) benefits affect the cycle in food intake over the benefit month among working-age adults on SNAP?

 

• Whiteman, E.D., Chrisinger, B.W., & Hillier, A. 2018. Diet quality over the monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program cycle. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 55(2), 205-212.

  Using USDA FoodAPS data, this article examines differences in the dietary quality of SNAP households’ purchases across the SNAP benefit cycle.

 

• Gorski Findling, M.T., Wolfson, J.A., Rimm, E.B., and Bleich, S.N. 2018. Differences in the neighborhood retail food environment and obesity among US children and adolescents by SNAP participation. Obesity, 26(6), pp.1063-1071.

  This article analyzes odds of childhood overweight and obesity based on number and type of neighborhood food retailers, differentiating children in SNAP households and children in eligible, non-SNAP households.

 

• Paarlberg, R., Mozaffarian, D., Micha, R. and Chelius, C., KEEPING SODA IN SNAP: Understanding the other iron triangle. Society, 55(4), pp.1-10.

  Based on interviews with participants in U.S. national policy-making, this article reviews three political dynamics that oppose a limitation on sugar-sweetened beverage purchase using SNAP benefit.

 

• Jithitikulchai, T. and Andreyeva, T., 2018. Sugar-sweetened beverage demand and tax simulation for federal food assistance participants: A case of two New England states. Applied Health Economics and Health Policy., 16(4), pp.549–558.

  The article uses supermarket point-of-sale data to estimate responsiveness of demand to sugar-sweetened beverage prices among households participating in SNAP to simulate how a sugar-sweetened beverage tax would affect caloric intake.

 

• Moran, A.J., Musicus, A., Gorski Findling, M.T., Brissette, I.F., Lowenfels, A.A., Subramanian, S.V., and Roberto, C.A. 2018. Increases in sugary drink marketing during Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefit issuance in New York. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 55(1), pp.55-62.

  Using a beverage environment scan, this article analyzes the timing of beverage displays, advertisements, and price promotions relative to SNAP benefit issuance.

 

• Srinivasan, M. and Pooler, J.A., 2018. Cost-related medication nonadherence for older adults participating in SNAP, 2013–2015. American Journal of Public Health, 108(2), pp.224-230.

  This article investigates a spillover income effect of SNAP participation on medication nonadherence (e.g. delaying refills, skipping medication) to save money, with subanalysis by food security status.

 

• Rahkovsky, I., Young, J., and Carlson, A. Consumers balance time and money in purchasing convenience foods, ERR-251, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, June 2018.

  This report uses descriptive statistics and a consumer demand model to analyze where households purchase food (e.g., full-service restaurants) and types of food purchased (e.g., ready-to-eat foods) based on households characteristics, including SNAP participation.

 

• Zeballos, E. and Anekwe, T.D. The association between nutrition information use and the healthfulness of food acquisitions, ERR-247, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, April 2018.

  Do people who use nutrition information make higher dietary quality food-at-home and food-away-from-home purchases, and how does this differ by SNAP participation status?

 

• Wilde, P.E., Conrad, Z., Rehm, C.D., Pomeranz, J.L., Penalvo, J.L., Cudhea, F., Pearson-Stuttard, J., O’Flaherty, M., Micha, R. and Mozaffarian, D., 2018. Reductions in national cardiometabolic mortality achievable by food price changes according to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility and participation. J Epidemiol Community Health, pp.jech-2017.

This article quantifies how food pricing policies to subsidize healthy foods and tax unhealthy foods could affect the US cardiometabolic disease (CMD) mortality, overall and by SNAP eligibility and participation, finding steeper CMD reductions for SNAP participants relative to non-participants.

 

• Schwartz, G., Grindal, T., Wilde, P., Klerman, J. and Bartlett, S., 2018. Supermarket shopping and the food retail environment among SNAP participants. Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition, 13(2), pp.154-179.

This article contributes to research on food deserts by assessing how shopping patterns differ across food retail environments. Small differences in SNAP benefit spending between households with low and high access to supermarkets suggest that SNAP participants’ inability to reach healthy food retailers is at most a minor driver of geographic disparities in nutrition and health outcomes.

 

Child Nutrition

• Vercammen, K. A., Moran, A. J., Zatz, L. Y., and Rimm, E. B. 2018. 100% juice, fruit, and vegetable intake among children in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children and Nonparticipants. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 55(1), e11-e18.

  This article examines associations between WIC participation and juice intake, providing implications for WIC package composition.

 

• Weber, S., Uesugi, K., Greene, H., Bess, S., Reese, L., and Odoms-Young, A. 2018. Preferences and perceived value of WIC foods among WIC caregivers. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 50(7), 695-704.

  Authors use surveys and in-depth interviews to better understand WIC caregivers’ preferences of WIC foods, value of WIC packages, and factors that influence each, providing insight for structure of WIC package.

 

• Schwartz, M.B., Henderson, K.E., Read, M., and Cornelius, T. 2018. Student acceptance of plain milk increases significantly 2 years after flavored milk is removed from school cafeterias: an observational study. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 118(5), 857-864.

  This study adds to literature on school lunch nutrition by assessing the longer-term impact of removal of flavored milk on plain milk selection and consumption.

 

• Bean, M.K., Brady Spalding, B., Theriault, E., Dransfield, K.B., Sova, A., and Dunne Stewart, M. 2018. Salad bars increased selection and decreased consumption of fruits and vegetables 1 month after installation in Title I elementary schools: a plate waste study. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 50(6), 589-597.

  Quasi-experimental study that uses digital imagery plate waste assessment to analyze how salad bars impact fruit and vegetable selection, consumption, and waste.

 

• McLaughlin, P.W., Gleason, S., and Wilkin, M. Price variability across food product and vendor type in food benefit redemptions under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infant, and Children (WIC), ERR-253, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, July 2018.

  This report uses WIC EBT transaction data to assess how prices of WIC foods purchased by participants vary across state agencies by product category and store format.

 

• Andreyeva, T., Kenney, E.L., O'Connell, M., Sun, X. and Henderson, K.E., 2018. Predictors of nutrition quality in early child education settings in Connecticut. Journal of nutrition education and behavior.

This article, co-authored by a RIDGE grantee, compares dietary quality and feeding practices of child care centers by CACFP participation status, finding some nutritional advantages at CACFP-participating centers while also suggesting strategies for nutritional improvement across all centers.

 

• Jahn, J.L., Cohen, J.F., Gorski-Findling, M.T., Hoffman, J.A., Rosenfeld, L., Chaffee, R., Smith, L. and Rimm, E.B., 2018. Product reformulation and nutritional improvements after new competitive food standards in schools. Public health nutrition, 21(5), pp.1011-1018.

Building on previous analysis of 2012 statewide changes to school competitive food and beverage standards in Massachusetts, this article, co-authored by a RIDGE grantee, assesses impact on food manufacturer product reformulation in response to the standards, providing implications for national Smart Snacks standards.

 

Additional Research