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- SNAP (7)
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Articles 1 - 20 of 20
Full-Text Articles in Social Welfare
Community-Based Food Program Limits In Reducing Older Adult Food Insecurity, Madonna Harrington Meyer, Colleen M. Heflin
Community-Based Food Program Limits In Reducing Older Adult Food Insecurity, Madonna Harrington Meyer, Colleen M. Heflin
Population Health Research Brief Series
Older adults who are grappling with food insecurity may enhance their food supply through community-based programs that provide free and subsidized food. This complicated system, categorized by group meal programs, home-delivered meals, and food provided to be eaten off-site, is complex, expensive, and may be difficult for older adults to use. Based on the book, Food for Thought: Understanding Older Adults Food Insecurity, this brief describes three key limits of community-based food programs for older adults. First, the quantity and quality of community-based food programs vary markedly by where one lives. Second, the food may be of poor nutritional …
The Limits Of Snap In Addressing Older Adult Food Insecurity, Colleen M. Heflin, Madonna Harrington Meyer
The Limits Of Snap In Addressing Older Adult Food Insecurity, Colleen M. Heflin, Madonna Harrington Meyer
Population Health Research Brief Series
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is designed to address the economic roots of food insecurity. However, SNAP participation rates among older adults substantially lag behind those of other age groups. Based on the book, Food for Thought: Understanding Older Adults Food Insecurity, this brief describes how SNAP is not well designed for older adults in three respects: (1) the high levels of administrative burden associated with eligibility, certification, and benefit-determination processes, (2) the low value of SNAP benefits compared with the high costs associated with redeeming them, and (3) the high levels of state variation in SNAP policies …
How Does The Earned Income Tax Credit (Eitc) Impact Time Spent Assisting Adults?, Anna Wiersma Strauss
How Does The Earned Income Tax Credit (Eitc) Impact Time Spent Assisting Adults?, Anna Wiersma Strauss
Population Health Research Brief Series
Unpaid caregiving for adults is crucial to maintaining health, independence, and well-being at older ages. In their working years, caregivers potentially face trade-offs between unpaid caregiving and paid work. Poor households face more costly tradeoffs between paid work and caregiving because the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) – one of the nation’s largest antipoverty programs for families with children – requires recipients to work and provides benefits based on the level of earnings. This brief summarizes the findings of a study that uses data from the 2003-2019 American Time Use Survey (ATUS) to examine the effect of the EITC on …
More Police Spending Is Linked To Higher Opioid Overdose Mortality Rates, Michah W. Rothbart, Zoe Lindenfeld, Amanda I. Mauri, Diana Silver
More Police Spending Is Linked To Higher Opioid Overdose Mortality Rates, Michah W. Rothbart, Zoe Lindenfeld, Amanda I. Mauri, Diana Silver
Population Health Research Brief Series
In the United States, over 100,000 people die from drug overdoses every year. County fiscal policies, particularly police spending and revenue generated from fines and forfeitures, not only shape the resources available for health interventions but may also influence how those resources are used to prevent overdoses. This brief highlights findings from a study that used data from the U.S. Census of Governments to examine how counties use of extractive policing practices (fines and forfeitures) as well as spending on health and policing were related to opioid overdose deaths from 2017 to 2020. Findings show that higher county-level police spending …
Adopting The Standard Medical Deduction Increased State Snap Enrollment And Benefits, Yuwei Zhang, Jun Li, Dongmei Zhu, Colleen Heflin
Adopting The Standard Medical Deduction Increased State Snap Enrollment And Benefits, Yuwei Zhang, Jun Li, Dongmei Zhu, Colleen Heflin
Population Health Research Brief Series
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a critical safety net program that helps reduce food insecurity among low-income households in the United States. However, many eligible households do not participate in SNAP due to burdensome administrative requirements. To make it easier for more older adults and people with disabilities to participate in SNAP, many states have adopted the Standard Medical Deduction (SMD) to simplify administrative requirements. This brief summarizes findings from a study that examined the associations between state SMD adoption and SNAP participation and benefits from 2004 to 2019.
Waiving Snap Interviews During The Covid-19 Pandemic Increased Snap Caseloads, Colleen Heflin, William Fannin, Leonard M. Lopoo, Siobhan O'Keefe
Waiving Snap Interviews During The Covid-19 Pandemic Increased Snap Caseloads, Colleen Heflin, William Fannin, Leonard M. Lopoo, Siobhan O'Keefe
Population Health Research Brief Series
Food insecurity in the United States reached historically high rates during the COVID-19 pandemic, thus substantially increasing demand for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). To facilitate access to SNAP during the pandemic, the federal government granted state SNAP offices the option to waive the interview requirement – an administrative burden associated with the SNAP certification process. This brief summarizes findings from a recent study that used data from SNAP offices across 10 states to examine the impact of SNAP interview waivers on SNAP caseloads from January 5th to April 30th of 2021. Findings reveal that counties that implemented the …
Medicaid-Insured Older Adults On Snap May Have Stronger Medication Adherence, Colleen Heflin, Chinedum O. Ojinnaka, Irma A. Arteaga, Leslie Hodges, Gabriella Alphonso
Medicaid-Insured Older Adults On Snap May Have Stronger Medication Adherence, Colleen Heflin, Chinedum O. Ojinnaka, Irma A. Arteaga, Leslie Hodges, Gabriella Alphonso
Population Health Research Brief Series
For older adults with hypertension, medication adherence is critical to decreasing hospitalization, poor health outcomes, and healthcare costs. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—the largest food and nutrition assistance program in the United States—could protect against medication non-adherence. This brief summarizes the findings from a recent study, which linked Missouri Medicaid administrative claims data to SNAP data from 2006 to 2014. The findings suggest that longer and consistent receipt of SNAP benefits was associated with higher levels of antihypertensive medication adherence among Medicaid-insured individuals aged 60 years and older.
How Has The Opioid Overdose Crisis Affected Child Maltreatment In The U.S.?, Alexander Chapman
How Has The Opioid Overdose Crisis Affected Child Maltreatment In The U.S.?, Alexander Chapman
Population Health Research Brief Series
This brief summarizes results from a study examining the association between U.S. county-level opioid mortality rates and child maltreatment rates from 2007 to 2017. Places with higher opioid overdose mortality rates have higher rates of child maltreatment. Poverty makes this problem worse - where the proportion of families in poverty increases, the association between fatal opioid overdose rates and child maltreatment also increases. Findings suggest that intervening in opioid use by reducing poverty has the potential to markedly decrease the incidence of child maltreatment.
Federal Medication-Assisted Treatment Expansion Grants Do Not Reduce Homelessness, Andrew Sullivan, Changwe Park
Federal Medication-Assisted Treatment Expansion Grants Do Not Reduce Homelessness, Andrew Sullivan, Changwe Park
Population Health Research Brief Series
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is an evidence-based intervention that, combined with counseling and behavioral therapies, can effectively treat opioid use disorders. However, MAT is underused due to multiple barriers. To increase access to MAT, the U.S. government awarded grants to local governments and nonprofit organizations to increase and retain the number of people receiving MAT. This brief examined differences in homelessness and employment outcomes between places that received a MAT grant and those that did not. They found that these grants did not reduce homelessness or unemployment rates in the places that received funding and concluded that their effectiveness may have …
Children In Economically Disadvantaged Households Have Lower Early Literacy Skills Than Their Higher-Income Peers, Michah W. Rothbart, Colleen Heflin, Gabriella Alphonso
Children In Economically Disadvantaged Households Have Lower Early Literacy Skills Than Their Higher-Income Peers, Michah W. Rothbart, Colleen Heflin, Gabriella Alphonso
Population Health Research Brief Series
Literacy is critical for numerous developmental outcomes and wellbeing among children. Low literacy skills in childhood can also negatively affect individuals in adulthood. Using data from nearly 300,000 kindergarten students in Virginia (2014-2017), this study finds that children in households that participate in more than one social assistance program (such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs, and Free or Reduced-Price Lunch) have lower literacy skills when they enter kindergarten than children whose households participate in fewer or no social programs.
Older Adults On Snap Experience Gaps In Benefits, Colleen Heflin, Leslie Hodges, Irma A. Arteaga, Chinedum O. Ojinnaka, Gabriella Alphonso
Older Adults On Snap Experience Gaps In Benefits, Colleen Heflin, Leslie Hodges, Irma A. Arteaga, Chinedum O. Ojinnaka, Gabriella Alphonso
Population Health Research Brief Series
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest food and nutrition assistance program in the United States. Burdens associated with SNAP recertification often lead to administrative churn, when a household experiences a gap in SNAP benefit receipt. Older adults are at risk of experiencing benefit gaps, which may negatively impact their health and nutrition. This brief summarizes results of a recent study that examined administrative churn among Missouri SNAP participants aged 60 years and older. The authors call for program changes that reduce the frequency and duration of churn among older adults.
Limited Cognitive Ability May Reduce Snap Participation Among Older Adults, Colleen Heflin, Dongmei Zuo, Gabriella Alphonso
Limited Cognitive Ability May Reduce Snap Participation Among Older Adults, Colleen Heflin, Dongmei Zuo, Gabriella Alphonso
Population Health Research Brief Series
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest food and nutrition assistance program in the U.S. For older adults currently on SNAP, meeting administrative requirements to remain on SNAP is difficult due to short recertification time frames, a lack of social support, and cognitive impairment. This brief summarizes results of a recent study examining the impact of cognitive decline on SNAP participation among adults aged 60 yrs. and older. Findings demonstrate that cognitive decline and living alone are associated with reduced SNAP participation, with older females being the most affected.
Expansions In The U.S. Child Care And Development Block Grant Improved Program Stability, Hyojeong Kim, Colleen Heflin, Taryn Morrissey
Expansions In The U.S. Child Care And Development Block Grant Improved Program Stability, Hyojeong Kim, Colleen Heflin, Taryn Morrissey
Population Health Research Brief Series
Child care is necessary for most parents to work and serves as an important developmental context for children. Yet many low-income families struggle with the high cost of child care. The child care subsidy program is designed to help low-income working families pay for child care. In 2018, Congress substantially increased funding for child care through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) to states, enabling them to make improvements to their child care subsidy programs. This brief summarizes the policy changes made in Virginia and describes how those changes improved child care subsidy stability and participation in that …
The U.S. Must Invest More In The Child Care Subsidy Program, Taryn Morrissey, Colleen Heflin, William Fannin
The U.S. Must Invest More In The Child Care Subsidy Program, Taryn Morrissey, Colleen Heflin, William Fannin
Population Health Research Brief Series
Compared to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), child care subsidy programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) are underused by families and children. This data slice analyzes 2019 administrative data from Virginia to examine gaps in child care subsidy receipts.
Strengthening Snap And Tanf Is Essential To Support Children In Early Childhood, Colleen Heflin, Michah W. Rothbart, Mattie Mackenzie-Liu
Strengthening Snap And Tanf Is Essential To Support Children In Early Childhood, Colleen Heflin, Michah W. Rothbart, Mattie Mackenzie-Liu
Population Health Research Brief Series
Although early childhood is considered a critical time for investment in a child’s life, the United States lacks many traditional family policy programs like paid family leave and widely subsidized daycare. Instead, the U.S. relies on means-tested programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). This brief summarizes findings from a study examining participation in SNAP and TANF in early childhood in Virginia. Findings suggest that strengthening SNAP and TANF would provide significant benefit to Black and Hispanic children and those residing in rural areas.
Child Injuries And The Timing Of Snap Benefits Receipt, Colleen Heflin, Irma Arteaga, Jean Felix Ndashimye, Matthew P. Rabbitt
Child Injuries And The Timing Of Snap Benefits Receipt, Colleen Heflin, Irma Arteaga, Jean Felix Ndashimye, Matthew P. Rabbitt
Population Health Research Brief Series
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is an important federal resource that provides nutritional assistance to low-income families. Timing of SNAP benefits can reduce childhood injuries.
Risky Business: Recognizing The Flaws Of Employer-Based Health Insurance During Covid-19, Austin Mcneill Brown, Mariah Brennan Nanni
Risky Business: Recognizing The Flaws Of Employer-Based Health Insurance During Covid-19, Austin Mcneill Brown, Mariah Brennan Nanni
Population Health Research Brief Series
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the flaws of the U.S.’s employer-based health insurance model. This brief discusses the implications of binding health insurance to employment during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
Snap Participation Is Associated With Reduced Risk Of Premature Mortality Among U.S. Adults, Colleen Heflin, Samuel Ingram, James Ziliak
Snap Participation Is Associated With Reduced Risk Of Premature Mortality Among U.S. Adults, Colleen Heflin, Samuel Ingram, James Ziliak
Population Health Research Brief Series
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest federal food assistance program, with over 40 million Americans receiving its support. This research brief examines the effect of SNAP participation on the probability of premature mortality and finds that risk of premature mortality is lower among adult who receive SNAP.
Having A Disability Increases The Likelihood Of Food Insecurity Despite Federal Programs To Prevent This Hardship, Colleen Heflin, Claire Altman, Laura Rodriguez
Having A Disability Increases The Likelihood Of Food Insecurity Despite Federal Programs To Prevent This Hardship, Colleen Heflin, Claire Altman, Laura Rodriguez
Population Health Research Brief Series
In 2016, more than 41 million people living in the United States were food insecure. Food insecurity is more pronounced among individuals with disabilities. Work-limiting disability is associated with food insecurity in multiple ways. This research brief shows how such high rates of food insecurity among the disabled population stems from ineffective national policies the many ways in which disabilities increase risk of food insecurity.
Food Assistance May Help Families Prevent Emergency Department Visits For Child Asthma, Colleen Heflin
Food Assistance May Help Families Prevent Emergency Department Visits For Child Asthma, Colleen Heflin
Population Health Research Brief Series
Childhood asthma is the leading cause of emergency department visits for children under the age of 15 in the U.S. Food insecurity may increase a child’s risk for developing asthma. This research brief shows that higher SNAP benefits are associated with fewer asthma –related emergency department visits.