Exploring Ways to Strengthen the Federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to Improve Nutrition for Low-Income Children

Start Date: April 2011

ID #: 68813

Principal Investigator: Susan Blumenthal, MD, MPA

Organization: Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress

Funding Round: Rapid-Response Round 3

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The objective of this research is to conduct a comprehensive survey of stakeholder groups to identify barriers and opportunities for improving nutrition in the Federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The survey will be designed with input from key informant interviews and distributed to over 500 key stakeholders involved with SNAP and other food assistance and obesity prevention programs. SNAP currently serves over 41 million Americans per month living at or below 130% of the poverty level, approximately half of whom are children and adolescents, and thus this project will focus on lower-income children and adolescents 18 years of age or younger who receive SNAP benefits. Ultimately, these survey responses will be synthesized to identify promising incentives, approaches and regulations to inform policy recommendations to improve nutrition in SNAP.

Age Groups: Adolescents (grades 9 to 12), Adults and Families, Elementary-age children (grades K to 5), Preschool-age children (ages 3 to 5), Young adolescents (grades 6 to 8)

Keywords: Corner store, Food insecurity, Food outlet, Fruits and vegetables, Grocery store, Nutrition standards, Sugar-sweetened beverages, Supermarket, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

Focus Areas: Food Access, Nutrition Policy & Programs

Resource Type: Grant Summary

Race/Ethnicity: Multi-racial/ethnic

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