Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)-Authorized Grocery, Convenience, Dollar, and Restaurant or Delivery Service Settings Are Associated With Increased Obesity Prevalence in Virginia

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-130
Author(s):  
Bailey Houghtaling ◽  
David Kniola ◽  
Sarah Misyak
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Grocery Store ◽  
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ◽  
Farmers Markets ◽  
County Level ◽  
Obesity Prevalence ◽  
Supplemental Nutrition ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
Delivery Service ◽  
Nutrition Assistance

Purpose: United States Department of Agriculture Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants use SNAP-authorized stores for dietary purchases. Relationships between obesity prevalence and access to grocery and varied nontraditional (eg, dollar, drug, and convenience) SNAP settings are underexplored. This research aimed to determine the association of a full range of SNAP-authorized stores with obesity prevalence in Virginia. Design: The SNAP Retailer Locator was used to cross-sectionally identify authorized stores, and county health ranking information was applied based on store location. Setting: Virginia, United States. Sample: The SNAP-authorized stores, classified among store categories: grocery or supermarket; drug; mass merchandiser; supercenter; convenience; dollar; club; other; nonfood store; farmers markets; and independent grocery stores. Measures: County-level obesity prevalence with income and rurality as potential confounders. Analysis: Multiple linear regression was used to determine associations between county-level adult obesity prevalence and available SNAP-authorized store formats ( P < .05 a priori). Results: Store format was a predictor of obesity prevalence in Virginia in simple and adjusted models ( R 2 = 0.035, P < .0001 and R 2 = 0.434, P < .0001, respectively). Grocery store or supermarket access was associated with obesity. The SNAP-authorized convenience, dollar, and nonfood stores were associated with a 0.3, 0.5, and 1.3 increase in county obesity prevalence, respectively ( P < .05). Conclusions: Research, practice, and health policy approaches to improve grocery, convenience, dollar, and restaurant or delivery service settings may favorably influence community obesity prevalence in Virginia.

scholarly journals Changes in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Policies and Diabetes Prevalence: Analysis of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Data From 2004 to 2014

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sameed Ahmed M. Khatana ◽  
Nicholas Illenberger ◽  
Rachel M. Werner ◽  
Peter W. Groeneveld ◽  
Nandita Mitra
Keyword(s):  
Surveillance System ◽  
State Level ◽  
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ◽  
Diabetes Prevalence ◽  
County Level ◽  
Supplemental Nutrition ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
Absolute Increase ◽  
Us Counties ◽  
Nutrition Assistance

<b>Objective: </b> <p>Food insecurity is associated with diabetes. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest US government food assistance program. Whether such programs impact diabetes trends is unclear. The objective of this study is to evaluate the association between changes in state-level policies affecting SNAP participation and county-level diabetes prevalence.</p> <p><b>Research Design and Methods:</b></p> <p>We evaluated the association between change in county-level diabetes prevalence and changes in the US Department of Agriculture SNAP policy index – a measure of adoption of state-level policies associated with increased SNAP participation (higher value indicating adoption of more policies associated with increased SNAP participation; range: 1 to 10) – from 2004 to 2014 using g-computation – a robust causal inference methodology. The study includes all US counties with diabetes prevalence data available from the Center for Disease Control’s US Diabetes Surveillance System.</p> <p><b>Results:</b></p> <p>A total of 3,135 (out of 3,143) US counties were included. Mean diabetes prevalence increased from 7.3% (SD=1.3) in 2004 to 9.1% (SD=1.8) in 2014. The mean SNAP policy index increased from 6.4 (SD=0.9) to 8.2 (SD=0.6) in 2014. After accounting for changes in demographic, economic and healthcare related variables and baseline SNAP policy index, a 1-point absolute increase in the SNAP policy index between 2004 to 2014 was associated with 0.050 (95% CI 0.042 to 0.057) percentage point lower diabetes prevalence per year. </p> <p><b>Conclusion:</b></p> State policies aimed at increasing SNAP participation were independently associated with a lower rise in diabetes prevalence between 2004 and 2014.

scholarly journals Changes in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Policies and Diabetes Prevalence: Analysis of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Data From 2004 to 2014

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sameed Ahmed M. Khatana ◽  
Nicholas Illenberger ◽  
Rachel M. Werner ◽  
Peter W. Groeneveld ◽  
Nandita Mitra
Keyword(s):  
Surveillance System ◽  
State Level ◽  
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ◽  
Diabetes Prevalence ◽  
County Level ◽  
Supplemental Nutrition ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
Absolute Increase ◽  
Us Counties ◽  
Nutrition Assistance

<b>Objective: </b> <p>Food insecurity is associated with diabetes. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest US government food assistance program. Whether such programs impact diabetes trends is unclear. The objective of this study is to evaluate the association between changes in state-level policies affecting SNAP participation and county-level diabetes prevalence.</p> <p><b>Research Design and Methods:</b></p> <p>We evaluated the association between change in county-level diabetes prevalence and changes in the US Department of Agriculture SNAP policy index – a measure of adoption of state-level policies associated with increased SNAP participation (higher value indicating adoption of more policies associated with increased SNAP participation; range: 1 to 10) – from 2004 to 2014 using g-computation – a robust causal inference methodology. The study includes all US counties with diabetes prevalence data available from the Center for Disease Control’s US Diabetes Surveillance System.</p> <p><b>Results:</b></p> <p>A total of 3,135 (out of 3,143) US counties were included. Mean diabetes prevalence increased from 7.3% (SD=1.3) in 2004 to 9.1% (SD=1.8) in 2014. The mean SNAP policy index increased from 6.4 (SD=0.9) to 8.2 (SD=0.6) in 2014. After accounting for changes in demographic, economic and healthcare related variables and baseline SNAP policy index, a 1-point absolute increase in the SNAP policy index between 2004 to 2014 was associated with 0.050 (95% CI 0.042 to 0.057) percentage point lower diabetes prevalence per year. </p> <p><b>Conclusion:</b></p> State policies aimed at increasing SNAP participation were independently associated with a lower rise in diabetes prevalence between 2004 and 2014.

Perceived neighbourhood food environment and overweight and obesity among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) participants in the Midwest US

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Bhagyashree Katare ◽  
Krystal Lynch ◽  
Dennis Savaiano
Keyword(s):  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Food Environment ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Grocery Store ◽  
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ◽  
Supplemental Nutrition ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Nutrition Assistance

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the relationship between neighbourhood food environment perceptions and obesity among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) or Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) participants. Design: A cross-sectional study conducted during SNAP-Ed or EFNEP programme participation in six states in the Midwest US between May 2016 and November 2017. Setting: Community centres, food pantries and other SNAP-Ed or EFNEP recruitment locations. Participants: Convenience sample of 1743 low-income, adult nutrition education programme participants. Results: Controlling for participant location and other demographic variables, those who perceived that a large selection of fruits and vegetables were available to them were 22 % less likely to be obese (adjusted odds ratio 0·78, 95 % CI 0·63, 0·97). In addition, participants who perceived the distance to the grocery store where they purchased most of their groceries to be greater than 5 miles were 1·36 times more likely to be overweight or obese than those who travelled shorter distances for their groceries. Conclusions: SNAP-Ed or EFNEP participants’ weight status may be associated with their perceptions of their neighbourhood food environments. Programmes incorporating nutrition education and food access initiatives should attempt to better understand participant perceptions in order to address barriers in their efforts and to ensure that healthy food is accessible to low-income residents.

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