Effectiveness of Participation in the Food Stamp Program On Nutrition Status of A Selected Group of Low Income Women

The food stamp program, as enacted into law in 1964, was intended to improve the diet of low income households, but whether the program resulted in a nutritional improvement remains a controversial question. Several studies have evaluated the nutritional impact of the food stamp program on participant households. In general, the study findings do not conclusively resolve the question of nutritional improvement for participant families. Studies of California families showed some nutritional improvements among food stamp recipients in comparison with nonrecipients [7, 8]. A study in Pennsylvania showed no nutritional improvements, except in temporary periods of cash shortage [9].

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Impact of Elimination of the Food Stamp Program's Purchase Requirement on Participants' Food Purchases

Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics ◽

10.1017/s0081305200015661 ◽

1980 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 87-92 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Larry E. Salathe

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Food Stamp ◽

Food Stamp Program ◽

Food Purchases ◽

Eligibility Requirements ◽

The Cost ◽

Stamp Act ◽

Low Income Households

The Food Stamp Act authorizes the distribution of food coupons (stamps) to households which meet certain income eligibility requirements. This legislation enables low-income households to buy more food of greater variety to improve their diet. In fiscal 1979, the cost of the Food Stamp Program amounted to $6.7 billion and the number of persons participating in the program averaged 18.9 million.

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Food Stamp Program Impact on Resource Use: Texas Compared with The U.S., Fiscal Year 1974

Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics ◽

10.1017/s0081305200013881 ◽

1977 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 81-87

Author(s):

Paul E. Nelson ◽

John Perrin

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Resource Use ◽

Final Demand ◽

Food Stamp ◽

Fiscal Year ◽

Food Stamp Program ◽

Ceteris Paribus ◽

Expenditure Patterns ◽

Tax Payments ◽

The Impact

During fiscal year 1974 the National Food Stamp Program disbursed $2.7 billion in bonus stamps. Of this amount, Texas received about $208 million. These money injections will increase each economy's final demand, ceteris paribus.However, an increase in the final demand of low income households will result in a discernibly different pattern of resource allocation than would occur if it came from high income households: the larger the increase in final demand, the greater the impact on patterns of resource use. The amount of bonus stamps distributed has reached a point where impacts may be identifiable.The source of funds likewise affects such expenditure patterns and resulting resource use. For example, when funds for bonus stamps are raised by increasing taxes of the higher income households, their expenditure patterns will reflect their increased tax payments. In contrast, when funds are raised by sale of government securities, the immediate impact will be different, in part because individuals account for only about 16 percent of the ownership of all federal securities.

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The Effect of Food Stamp Nutrition Education on the Food Insecurity of Low-income Women Participants

Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior ◽

10.1016/j.jneb.2008.06.004 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 41 (3) ◽

pp. 161-168 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

Heather A. Eicher-Miller ◽

April C. Mason ◽

Angela R. Abbott ◽

George P. McCabe ◽

Carol J. Boushey

Keyword(s):

Food Insecurity ◽

Nutrition Education ◽

Low Income ◽

Food Stamp ◽

Effect Of Food ◽

Low Income Women

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Food Stamp Program participation but not food insecurity is associated with higher adult BMI in Massachusetts residents living in low-income neighbourhoods

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980008002309 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. 1248-1255 ◽

Cited By ~ 49

Author(s):

Amy L Webb ◽

Andrew Schiff ◽

Douglas Currivan ◽

Eduardo Villamor

Keyword(s):

Food Insecurity ◽

Low Income ◽

Fast Food ◽

Sociodemographic Factors ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Food Stamp ◽

Household Food Security ◽

Sociodemographic Characteristics ◽

Food Stamp Program ◽

Household Food

AbstractObjectiveFood-insecure populations employ multiple strategies to ensure adequate household food supplies. These strategies may increase the risk of overweight and obesity. However, existing literature reports conflicting associations between these strategies and BMI. The objective of the present study was to examine whether food insecurity and strategies for managing food insecurity are associated with BMI in adults.Design, setting and subjectsIn 2005, RTI International and Project Bread conducted a representative survey of 435 adult residents of low-income census tracts in Massachusetts. Food insecurity was assessed using the US Department of Agriculture’s eighteen-item Household Food Security Module.ResultsThe prevalence of overweight and obesity was 51 % and 25 %, respectively. After adjusting for age, sex, sociodemographic characteristics and food insecurity, both participation in the Food Stamp Program (FSP) and participation in any federal nutrition programme 12 months prior to the survey were each associated with an approximate 3·0 kg/m2higher adult BMI. In the subset of current FSP participants (n77), participation for ≥6 months was associated with an 11·3 kg/m2lower BMI compared with participation for <6 months. Respondents who consumed fast foods in the previous month had a mean BMI that was 2·4 kg/m2higher than those who did not. Food insecurity was not associated with BMI after adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics and FSP participation.ConclusionsParticipation in federal nutrition programmes and consumption of fast food were each associated with higher adult BMI independent of food insecurity and other sociodemographic factors. However, prolonged participation in the FSP was associated with lower BMI.

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