Dietary Modification, Food Insecurity Among Children
Conditions
Brief summary
The Summer Electronic Benefit for Children (SEBTC) demonstration provided food assistance to households with school-aged children during the summer through electronic benefit transfer (EBT) procedures used by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) programs. The evaluation design included two components: an impact study and an implementation study. The evaluation assessed the impact of SEBTC on children's food security and nutritional status, household food expenditures and purchasing behaviors, parental perceptions, and participation in nutrition assistance programs. The implementation study analyzed SEBTC use patterns using administrative data, and described demonstration implementation and costs.
Detailed description
The SEBTC evaluation took place in the summers of 2011 through 2014. Ten grantees implemented the demonstration in a total of 16 sites; the number of participating sites and/or the evaluation components differed by year. In 2011, 5 grantees with five sites participated and the evaluation included implementation and cost analysis, EBT analysis, and an impact study. In 2012, 10 grantees implemented SEBTC in 14 sites and the evaluation included the same study components. In 2013, four grantees with six sites participated and the study components included EBT analysis and an impact study (no implementation or cost data collection). Finally, in 2014, three grantees participated in three sites and only implementation data were collected. Information on human subjects was collected for the evaluation's impact evaluation.
Interventions
OTHERSEBTC
SEBTC benefits were issued on EBT cards using either the existing EBT delivery systems for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women Infants and Children (WIC). Sites selected only one of the two EBT systems to be used to implement SEBTC prior to random assignment; households were not randomized to a specific delivery system.
Sponsors
Maxiumus
USDA Food and Nutrition Service
Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
Abt Associates
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
4 Years to 18 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Households with children who were certified to receive the National School Lunch program or the School Breakfast Program in the prior school year in participating sites, Summers 2011-2013
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Very low food security among children according to the U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module, 30-day reference period | Between 30 and 120 days after SEBTC benefits were issued | The food intake of any child in the household is reduced and their normal eating patterns are disrupted because the household lacks money and other resources for food |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| children's whole grain consumption | between 30 and 120 days after SEBTC benefits were issued | Average daily consumption of whole grains (in ounces) |
| Children's consumption of added sugars | Between 30 and 120 days after SEBTC benefits were issued | Average daily consumption of added sugars (in teaspoons) |
| Children's consumption of added sugars excluding cereals | Between 30 and 120 days after SEBTC benefits were issued | Average daily consumption of added sugars excluding cereals (in teaspoons) |
| Children's consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages | Between 30 and 120 days after SEBTC benefits were issued | Average daily consumption of sugars (in teaspoons) from sugar-sweetened beverages |
| Food insecurity among children according to the U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module, 30-day reference period | Between 30 and 120 days after SEBTC benefits were issued | Any child in the household experienced very low food security or experienced reduced quality, variety, or desirability of diet. |
| Children's fruit and vegetable consumption | Between 30 and 120 days after SEBTC benefits were issued | Average daily cup equivalents of fruit and vegetables |
| Children's fruit and vegetable consumption without fried potatoes | Between 30 and 120 days after SEBTC benefits were issued | Average daily cup equivalents of fruit and vegetables, excluding fried potatoes |
| Children's dairy consumption | Between 30 and 120 days after SEBTC benefits were issued | Average daily dairy consumption cup equivalents |
| Children's consumption of low- and non-fat milk | Between 30 and 120 days after SEBTC benefits were issued | Any milk consumed was low- or non-fat |
Other
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Food expenditures | Between 30 and 120 days after SEBTC benefits were issued | Total food expenditures from all sources (e.g., cash, SNAP, SEBTC) |
| Participation in WIC | Between 30 and 120 days after SEBTC benefits were issued | Household participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants and Children |
| Participation in SNAP | Between 30 and 120 days after SEBTC benefits were issued | Household participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program |
Outcome results
None listed