Study: Emergency allocations in the SNAP program and food shortages in households with childrenPhoto credit: Jonathan Weiss / Shutterstock.com

Question: Was there a relationship between emergency allocations under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and changes in the risk of food insecurity in households with children?

In a recently published study JAMA network openedResearchers are investigating how emergency allocations under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) affect food insecurity among families with children.

What benefits does SNAP offer families?

Food insecurity is a serious public health problem in the United States, affecting adults and children by increasing the risk of poor physical health, anxiety, stress, and despair. Ethnic and racial minority groups, particularly those with children, are most at risk of food insecurity. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the U.S. government implemented emergency allotments through the SNAP program to provide low-income families with additional assistance in purchasing food.

Previous studies have shown that SNAP membership reduces poverty and food insecurity, particularly in households with children, while improving their mental and physical health. However, data on the association between SNAP emergency allotments and food insecurity in SNAP-participating families with children remain lacking.

About the study

In the present study, researchers examine whether temporary emergency allocations in the SNAP program are associated with a change in the risk of food insecurity in U.S. households with children.

To do this, researchers analyzed data from the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) using the difference-in-differences (DID) method to compare the likelihood of food insecurity before the implementation of SNAP emergency allotments between 2016 and 2019 with the likelihood during the allotment from 2020 to 2022. Parents or caregivers completed the NSCH surveys online or on paper in Spanish or English between June and January each year.

Families with children and household incomes 130% or less of the U.S. poverty level (FPL) were invited to participate in the study. The main study outcome was documentation of food insecurity in their household in the previous year by parents or caregivers.

Log-binomial regressions determined risk ratios (RR) for the analysis, adjusting for government financial assistance to households in the previous year and the employment status and income of adults in the household. The researchers also adjusted the figures for time-varying state economic policies, including minimum wage, Medicaid expansion, refundable Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) rates, and the maximum Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) for three-member households.

Sensitivity analyses were adjusted for state implementation of broad-based categorical eligibility (BBCE) policies that expand SNAP eligibility by increasing income thresholds from 130% to less than or equal to 200% of FPL and excluding asset assessment for eligibility. Very low to low food insecurity was used as an outcome for households that were often or sometimes unable to afford food in the previous year.

Study results

Among the 44,753 families earning less than or equal to 130% of the U.S. FPL, 23%, 57%, and 20% housed black, white, and other race children, respectively. In 38% of participating households, the children were Hispanic, and 32% of families were under the age of five.

In new @JAMANetworkOpen In our research, we found that emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) allotments (i.e., higher monthly benefits) were associated with lower food insecurity among households with children, although there were racial and ethnicity differences. https://t.co/tIxdZnIiea

– Anna Austin (@AnnaEAustin) 17 August 2024

The share of families experiencing food insecurity decreased from 63% in 2016 to 48% in 2021 among SNAP participants and from 44% to 39% among income-eligible non-participants. However, the percentage increased to 58% among SNAP participating families and to 48% among non-participating households in 2022.

Emergency allocation in the SNAP program was associated with a lower risk of food insecurity among SNAP participating families compared to non-participating families (RR: 0.9). Emergency allocation was associated with a lower risk of food insecurity among SNAP participating families with white and Hispanic children compared to non-participating families. However, this positive effect was not observed among families with black children. Sensitivity analyses yielded similar results.

SNAP-eligible families received more federal financial assistance, had more unemployed adults, earned up to 65% of FPL, and had more Black children. Black children were disproportionately represented among lower-income families than among families with white children.

Conclusions

The introduction of an emergency allocation under the SNAP program reduced the risk of food insecurity among households with children participating in SNAP. These findings underscore the central role of SNAP in alleviating food insecurity, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Further research is needed to determine the impact of ending the SNAP emergency benefit and whether a minimum monthly SNAP benefit of $95 affects the risk of food insecurity.

Findings show that policy matters: “In this cross-sectional study of 44,753 households with incomes at or below 130% of the federal poverty level and with children under 18, the introduction of emergency SNAP benefits was associated with a lower risk of food insecurity among… https://t.co/QkSMwB67R2

— National Pediatric Disaster Coalition (NPDC) (@npdcoalition) 19 August 2024