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The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Financial Stress, and Childhood Obesity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 September 2016

Rebecca Burgstahler ,
Craig Gundersen  and
Steven Garasky
Rebecca Burgstahler
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois in Urbana, Illinois
Craig Gundersen
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois in Urbana, Illinois
Steven Garasky
Affiliation:
Labor and Human Services at Impaq International, in Columbia, Maryland
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Abstract

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest nutritional assistance program addressing food insecurity in the United States. Due to the program's reach, SNAP has been called upon to address other nutrition-related challenges facing low-income Americans, including childhood obesity. This study considers the effect of SNAP participation on child weight outcomes after controlling for household financial stress, an important determinant of child overweight status that disproportionately affects low-income households. Using data from the Survey of Household Finances and Childhood Obesity and instrumental variable methods, we find that SNAP participation is negatively associated with obesity among eligible children.

Keywords

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)Food Stamp Programfinancial stresschildhood obesitypovertynutrition
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Agricultural and Resource Economics Review , Volume 41 , Issue 1 , April 2012 , pp. 29 - 42
Copyright
Copyright © 2012 Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association 

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