Food Insecurity Among Children
Conditions
Keywords
Food security, Hunger, Young children, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Food expenditures
Brief summary
The 2010 Child Nutrition Reauthorization provided funding to test innovative strategies to end childhood hunger and food insecurity. Demonstration projects were funded in Chickasaw Nation, Kentucky, Navajo Nation, Nevada, and Virginia. This study focuses on Nevada. SNAP households were randomly assigned to receive either: (1) $40 extra in SNAP benefits per eligible child (\<5 years) per month; (2) $40 extra in SNAP benefits per eligible child per month plus case management and nutrition education; or (3) only regular monthly SNAP benefit. The first two groups were the treatment arms and the third was the control group.
Detailed description
Objectives: To (1) reduce food insecurity among children; (2) increase enrollment in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and other nutrition assistance programs; and (3) improve nutrition and healthy shopping habits through nutrition education. Target Population: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households with children under age 5 and incomes below 75 percent of the Federal Poverty Level living in Clark County, Las Vegas, Nevada. Intervention: SNAP households were randomly assigned to receive either: (1) $40 extra in SNAP benefits per eligible child (\<5 years) per month; (2) $40 extra in SNAP benefits per eligible child per month plus case management and nutrition education; or (3) only regular monthly SNAP benefit. The first two groups were the treatment arms and the third was the control group. The two treatment groups were ultimately combined because of the low uptake of case management and nutrition education.
Interventions
OTHERNevada Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Demonstration Benefits
SNAP households with children under age 5 incomes below 75% of the federal poverty level living in Clark County, Nevada received $40 in extra SNAP benefits per eligible child, and access to case management and nutrition education.
Sponsors
Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
USDA Food and Nutrition Service
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
No minimum to 4 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households with children under age 5 and incomes below 75 percent of the Federal Poverty Level living in Clark County, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Food Insecurity among Children | 30 days | Measured by the United States Department of Agriculture's Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM). Affirming 2 or more out of the 8 child-level items in the HFSSM. Higher scores generally indicates worsening food insecurity. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Very Low Food Insecurity among Children | 30 days | Measured by the United States Department of Agriculture's Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM). Affirming 5 or more out of the 8 child-level items in the HFSSM. Higher scores generally indicates worsening food insecurity. |
| Food Insecurity among Adults | 30 days | Measured by the United States Department of Agriculture's Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM). Affirming 3 or more out of the 10 adult-level items in the HFSSM. Higher scores generally indicates worsening food insecurity. |
| Household Food Insecurity | 30 days | Measured by the United States Department of Agriculture's Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM). Affirming 3 or more out of the 18 items in the HFSSM. Higher scores generally indicates worsening food insecurity. |
| Food Expenditures | 30 days | Total amount of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and out-of-pocket food purchases in dollars |
Outcome results
None listed