Monthly Variations in Dietary Intake of Women Participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

Households participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) have been shown to spend the majority of their program benefits within the first 3 days of receipt. Hence, it is important to investigate dietary intakes of SNAP participants based on time since receipt of benefits.

The objectives of this study were to investigate the dietary intake of women participating in SNAP over 1 month and to compare diet quality between food secure and food insecure women using two indices.

A longitudinal design was used to examine monthly dietary intake of women in SNAP. Participants were measured for height and weight. A demographics questionnaire and a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) based on a reference period of 1 week were administered. The FFQ was completed four times, with an interval of 1 week, so that it reflected the diets of participants during weeks 1, 2, 3, and 4 of benefit receipt. Participants also completed the US adult food security module. The Healthy Eating Index-2010 and the Dietary Guidelines Adherence Index 2015 were used to assess diet quality.

A total of 217 women were recruited from low-income housing and neighborhood centers in Central Texas from January to December 2015. Women enrolled in SNAP, aged 18 to 50 years, and of Hispanic, African-American, and white race or ethnicity participated in the study. Fifty-eight women were lost during follow-up. Data from eight participants was excluded due to reporting of implausible caloric intakes, thereby resulting in a final sample of 151.

Food group, nutrient intake, and diet quality were the main outcome measures of the study.

A mixed linear model was conducted using week since receipt of benefits as the independent variable and food group, nutrient intake, and diet quality as the dependent variables. An analysis of variance was conducted to determine differences in diet quality based on food security status for each week of the monthly SNAP cycle.

A significant decrease in daily intakes of fruits, vegetables, dairy, and diet quality was observed over the month (P<0.05, with Bonferroni adjustment). Food secure women had higher diet quality than those with very low food security (P<0.05, with Bonferroni adjustment). However, a decline in diet quality was observed in all groups of women, classified according to food security status.

These results show that dietary intake of SNAP participants varies based on time since receipt of benefits.