Advertisement
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics home
Eatright.org home
Advanced searchSave search
Research Original Research: Brief| Volume 118, ISSUE 2, P294-300, February 2018

Participant Satisfaction with a Food Benefit Program with Restrictions and Incentives

Published:October 27, 2017DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2017.08.010
Participant Satisfaction with a Food Benefit Program with Restrictions and Incentives
Previous ArticleRoom Service Improves Nutritional Intake and Increases Patient Satisfaction While Decreasing Food Waste and Cost
Next ArticleFeasibility and Acceptability of Dietary Intake Assessment Via 24-Hour Recall and Food Frequency Questionnaire among Women with Low Socioeconomic Status

      Abstract

      Background

      Policy makers are considering changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Proposed changes include financially incentivizing the purchase of healthier foods and prohibiting the use of funds for purchasing foods high in added sugars. SNAP participant perspectives may be useful in understanding the consequences of these proposed changes.

      Objective

      To determine whether food restrictions and/or incentives are acceptable to food benefit program participants.

      Design

      Data were collected as part of an experimental trial in which lower-income adults were randomly assigned to one of four financial food benefit conditions: (1) Incentive: 30% financial incentive on eligible fruits and vegetables purchased using food benefits; (2) Restriction: not allowed to buy sugar-sweetened beverages, sweet baked goods, or candies with food benefits; (3) Incentive plus Restriction; or (4) Control: no incentive/restriction. Participants completed closed- and open-ended questions about their perceptions on completion of the 12-week program.

      Participants/setting

      Adults eligible or nearly eligible for SNAP were recruited between 2013 and 2015 by means of events or flyers in the Minneapolis/St Paul, MN, metropolitan area. Of the 279 individuals who completed baseline measures, 265 completed follow-up measures and are included in these analyses.

      Statistical analysis

      χ2 analyses were conducted to assess differences in program satisfaction. Responses to open-ended questions were qualitatively analyzed using principles of content analysis.

      Results

      There were no statistically significant or meaningful differences between experimental groups in satisfaction with the program elements evaluated in the study. Most participants in all conditions found the food program helpful in buying nutritious foods (94.1% to 98.5%) and in buying the kinds of foods they wanted (85.9% to 95.6%). Qualitative data suggested that most were supportive of restrictions, although a few were dissatisfied. Participants were uniformly supportive of incentives.

      Conclusions

      Findings suggest a food benefit program that includes incentives for purchasing fruits and vegetables and/or restrictions on the use of program funds for purchasing foods high in added sugars appears to be acceptable to most participants.

      Keywords

      To read this article in full you will need to make a payment

      Purchase one-time access:

      Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online access
      One-time access price info
      • For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
      • For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'

      Subscribe:

      Subscribe to Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
      Already a print subscriber? Claim online access
      Already an online subscriber? Sign in
      Register: Create an account
      Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect

      References

      1. US Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrtion Service. SNAP Monthly Data 2017. https://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap. Accessed 04/20/17.

        View in Article

      2. Mabli J, Ohls J, Dragoset L, Castner L, Santos B. Measuring the Effect of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Participation on Food Security. Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research for the US Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, August 2013. Princeton, NJ: Mathematica Policy Research; 2013.

        View in Article
        • Andreyeva T.
        • Tripp A.S.
        • MB S
        Dietary quality of Americans by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participation status: A systematic ereview.
        Am J Prev Med. 2015; 49: 594-604
        View in Article
        • Leung C.
        • Ding E.
        • Catalano P.
        • Villamor E.
        • Rimm E.
        • Willett W.
        Dietary intake and dietary quality of low-income adults in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
        Am J Clin Nutr. 2012; 96: 977-988
        View in Article
        • Cole N.
        • Fox M.
        Diet Quality of Americans by Food Stamp Participation Status: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2004.
        USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Washington, DC2008 (FSP-08-NH)
        View in Article
        • Leung C.
        • Willett W.
        • Ding E.
        Low-income Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participation is related to adiposity and metobolic risk factors.
        Am J Clin Nutr. 2012; 95: 17-24
        View in Article

      7. General Accounting Office. Food Stamp Program: Options for Delivering Financial Incentives to Participants for Targeted Foods. Washington, DC: 2008. GAO-08-415.

        View in Article
        • Townsend M.
        Obesity in low-income communities: Prevalence, effects, a place to being.
        J Am Diet Assoc. 2006; 106: 34-37
        View in Article
        • Alston J.
        • Mullally C.
        • Sumner D.
        • Townsend M.
        • Vosti S.
        Likely effects on obesity from proposed changes to the US food stamp program.
        Food Policy. 2009; 34: 176-184
        View in Article
        • Guthrie J.
        • Frazao E.
        • Andrews M.
        • Smallwood D.
        Improving food choices-can Food Stamps do more?.
        Amber Waves. 2007; 5: 22-28
        View in Article
        • Shenkin J.
        • Jacobson M.
        Using the food stamp program and other methods to promote healthy diets for low-income consumers.
        Am J Public Health. 2010; 100: 1562-1564
        View in Article
        • Barnhill A.
        Impact and ethics of excluding sweetened beverages from the SNAP program.
        Am J Public Health. 2011; 101: 2037-2043
        View in Article
        • Brownell K.
        • Ludwig D.
        The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, soda, and USDA policy.
        JAMA. 2011; 306: 2670
        View in Article
        • Sherwood D.
        Main proposed ban on junk food purchases with food stamps.
        Reuters. 2015; (Accessed December 30, 2015)
        http://www.reuters.com/article/us-maine-welfare-food-junk-idUSKBN0TC2DX20151123#2ledxmoKUOm5IL07.97
        View in Article
        • Long M.W.
        • Leung C.W.
        • Cheung L.W.
        • Blumenthal S.J.
        • Willett W.C.
        Public support for policies to improve the nutritional impact of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
        Public Health Nutr. 2014; 17: 219-224
        View in Article
        • Leung C.W.
        • Ryan-Ibarra S.
        • Linares A.
        • et al.
        Support for policies to improve the nutritional impact of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in California.
        Am J Public Health. 2015; 105: 1576-1580
        View in Article

      17. Bartlett S, Kerman J, Olsho L, et al. Evaluation of the Healthy Incentives Pilot (HIP): Final Report. Prepared by Abt Associates for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, September 2014. Cambridge, MA: Abt Associates; 2014.

        View in Article
        • Harnack L.
        • Oakes J.M.
        • Elbel B.
        • Beatty T.
        • Rydell S.
        • French S.
        Effects of subsidies and prohibitions on nutrition in a food benefit program: A randomized clinical trial.
        JAMA Intern Med. 2016; 176: 1610-1618
        View in Article

      19. USDA Economic Research Service. U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module: Six-Item Short Form. 2012. http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-us/survey-tools.aspx. Accessed July 13, 2017.

        View in Article
        • Lohman T.G.
        • Roche A.F.
        • Martorell R.
        Anthropometric Standardization Reference Manual.
        Human Kinetics Press, Champaign, IL1988
        View in Article

      21. SAS statistical software [computer program]. Version 9.3. Cary, NC: SAS Institute, Inc; 2011.

        View in Article
        • Hsieh H.-F.
        • Shannon S.
        Three approaches to qualitative content analysis.
        Qual Health Res. 2005; 15: 1277-1288
        View in Article

      23. FileMaker Pro 11 [computer program]. Santa Clara, CA: FileMaker, Inc; 2010.

        View in Article

      Biography

      S. A. Rydell is a project coordinator, Division of Epidemiology & Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

      Biography

      R. M. Turner is a staff member, Division of Epidemiology & Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

      Biography

      T. A. Lasswell is a research assistant, Division of Epidemiology & Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

      Biography

      S. A. French is a professor, Division of Epidemiology & Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

      Biography

      J. M. Oakes is a professor, Division of Epidemiology & Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

      Biography

      L. J. Harnack is a professor, Division of Epidemiology & Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

      Biography

      B. Elbel is an associate professor, School of Medicine and Wagner School of Public Service, and director, Langone Health Comprehensive Program on Obesity, New York University, New York.

      Article info

      Publication history

      Published online: October 27, 2017
      Accepted: August 9, 2017
      Received: January 11, 2017

      Footnotes

      STATEMENT OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

      FUNDING/SUPPORT This research was completed with funding from the National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases at the Division of Epidemiology & Community Health, School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota.

      Identification

      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2017.08.010

      Copyright

      © 2018 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

      ScienceDirect

      Access this article on ScienceDirect
      We use cookies to help provide and enhance our service and tailor content. To update your cookie settings, please visit the for this site.
      Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. except certain content provided by third parties. The content on this site is intended for healthcare professionals.


      RELX