Using economic modeling, this study seeks to advance nutritional equity by identifying ways to lower economic barriers to healthy eating among low-income households with children. This study will identify mechanisms for directing unhealthy food and beverage tax revenues towards healthy incentives, particularly through existing federally-funded, but local and state-run programs such as WIC and SNAP. A flexible demand system model will be used to estimate how households respond to price changes across food/beverage categories given budgetary constraints. The analysis will focus on WIC and/or SNAP participating households that also have a child or children 0 to 8 years of age. Price elasticity estimates will be used to stimulate how price reductions via different degrees of incentives on foods and beverages meeting WIC nutrition standards will change purchase patterns. Furthermore, estimates of price elasticities of demand will be used to stimulate price increases via taxes on unhealthy ultra-processed products among WIC and/or SNAP households with children. The combined (incentive + disincentive) policies and their impact on food purchase patterns will be used to identify mechanisms at the state/local levels for implementing incentives.
Start Date: February 2020
ID #: 77238
Principal Investigator: Shu Wen Ng, PhD
Organization: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Funding Round: HER Round 12
Age Groups: Elementary-age children (grades K to 5), Pregnant women, infants and toddlers (ages 0 to 2), Preschool-age children (ages 3 to 5)
Resource Type: Grant Summary
Focus Areas: Nutrition Policy & Programs, Pricing & Economics
Keywords: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Taxes, Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
Related Research
April 2024
Promoting Healthier Purchases: Ultraprocessed Food Taxes and Minimally Processed Foods Subsidies for the Low Income
Fiscal policies can shift relative food prices to encourage the purchase and consumption of minimally processed foods while discouraging the purchase and consumption of unhealthy ultraprocessed foods, high in calories and nutrients of concern (sodium, sugar, and saturated fats), especially for low-income households. The 2017–2018 packaged food purchase data among U.S. households were used to MoreNovember 2024
Experiences with COVID-19 economic relief measures among low-wage worker families: a qualitative study
This study aimed to understand experiences with COVID-19 economic relief measures among low-wage worker households with children during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews from low-wage workers in households with children in two U.S. cities in 2022 (n = 40). The sample was recruited from a larger study which included survey measures MoreJune 2024