Oh SNAP! Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Policy and Characteristics and Outcomes of Low-Income Families Who Did and Did Not Receive Benefits During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Battle, Ameerah

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Overview

Year:: 2024
Contributor:: Battle, Ameerah (creator); Kistin, Caroline (Advisor); Tobin-Tyler, Elizabeth (Reader); Brown University. Department of Health Services, Policy and Practice (sponsor)
Genre:: theses
Subject:: Health services; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (U.S.) (SNAP); Depressive Symptoms; health policy; COVID-19 Pandemic (2020-); food insecurity
Extent:: , None p.

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Description

Abstract:: Background: The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated food insecurity and led to temporary federal policy changes to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which included additional funding through emergency allotments (EAs). SNAP is a federally funded program that provides low-income families food benefits to supplement their grocery budget to help them afford nutritious food essential to well-being and health. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to (1) review and explain current SNAP policy and changes made during the COVID-19 pandemic, (2) differences in characteristics of those with and without SNAP, and (3) association between SNAP enrollment and response to a short-term food insecurity intervention (produce prescription program or grocery store gift cards) over 6 months. Design/Methods: For section 1, we examined SNAP policy changes that occurred within the U.S. from March 2020 to February 2023. For section 2, we conducted a secondary analysis of baseline data from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of two food programs for low-income households during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected between 2021-2022 from 250 low-income English or Spanish-speaking mothers who had at least one child 0-24 months of age. We compared the demographics of participants who were already SNAP recipients to non-SNAP recipients at the start of the study using chi-squared and fisher exact tests. We used bivariate and multivariate logistic regression to examine associations between SNAP enrollment at baseline and food security and depression at 6 months. Results: Of the total 249 participants studied, 150 of them were enrolled in SNAP at baseline and 99 were not. In the univariate and the multivariable analysis, SNAP receipts at baseline were not significantly associated with food security at 6 months (1.11, 95% CI:0.59, 2.09). Similarly, SNAP receipt at baseline was not significantly associated with depressive symptoms at 6 months (1.27, 95% CI:0.35, 4.55). Depressive symptoms at baseline is the biggest predictor of moderate depressive symptoms at 6 months (6.19, 95% CI: 1.90, 20.17). Conclusion: SNAP receipt status did not significantly impact the effect of short-term food resource interventions on food security and was not associated with changes in moderate depressive symptoms among low-income mothers with young children at 6 months. The literature surrounding food insecurity and mental health have shown that there is an association. Future research should continue to evaluate federal programs such as SNAP and its associated health outcomes.
Notes:: Thesis (M. P. H.)--Brown University, 2024

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Citation

Battle, Ameerah, "Oh SNAP! Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Policy and Characteristics and Outcomes of Low-Income Families Who Did and Did Not Receive Benefits During the COVID-19 Pandemic" (2024). Health Services, Policy & Practice Theses and Dissertations. Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library. https://repository.library.brown.edu/studio/item/bdr:jwzmzu9x/

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Health Services, Policy & Practice Theses and Dissertations

Theses and Dissertations for the Health Services, Policy & Practice department.
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