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

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  • Burgstahler, Rebecca
  • Gundersen, Craig
  • Garasky, Steven

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Burgstahler, Rebecca & Gundersen, Craig & Garasky, Steven, 2012. "The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Financial Stress, and Childhood Obesity," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 41(1), pages 29-42, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:agrerw:v:41:y:2012:i:01:p:29-42_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Burney, Shaheer, 2015. "Household Consumption Responses to SNAP Participation," 2015 AAEA & WAEA Joint Annual Meeting, July 26-28, San Francisco, California 205326, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    2. Lorenzo Almada & Ian McCarthy & Rusty Tchernis, 2016. "What Can We Learn about the Effects of Food Stamps on Obesity in the Presence of Misreporting?," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 98(4), pages 997-1017.
    3. Reimer, Jeffrey J. & Weerasooriya, Senal & West, Tyler T., 2015. "How Does the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Affect the U.S. Economy?," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 44(3), pages 233-252, December.
    4. Chien‐Yu Lai & John A List & Anya Samek, 2020. "Got Milk? Using Nudges to Reduce Consumption of Added Sugar," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 102(1), pages 154-168, January.
    5. Maoyong Fan & Yanhong Jin, 2015. "The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Childhood Obesity in the United States: Evidence from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997," American Journal of Health Economics, MIT Press, vol. 1(4), pages 432-460, Fall.
    6. repec:ags:afjare:225656 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Hudak, Katelin M. & Racine, Elizabeth F., 2021. "Do additional SNAP benefits matter for child weight?: Evidence from the 2009 benefit increase," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    8. Burney, Shaheer, 2018. "In-kind benefits and household behavior: The impact of SNAP on food-away-from-home consumption," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 134-146.

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