Study: Emergency Allotments in SNAP and Food Hardship Among Households With Children . Image Credit: Jonathan Weiss / Shutterstock.com Question: Were emergency allotments in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) associated with a change in the risk of food hardship among households with children? In a recent study published in JAMA Network Open , researchers determine how emergency allotment of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) impacts food insecurity in families with children.
How does SNAP benefit families? Food insecurity is a grave public health concern in the United States that impacts adults and children by increasing the risk of poor physical health, anxiety, stress, and despair. Minority ethnic and racial groups, particularly those with children, are at the greatest risk of food insecurity. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the U.
S. government executed emergency allotments under SNAP to provide low-income families with additional food purchase assistance. Previous studies have shown that SNAP membership reduces poverty and food insecurity, particularly in households with children, while improving their mental and physical health.
However, there remains a lack of data on the relationship between emergency SNAP allotments and food hardship in SNAP-participating families with children. About the study In the present study, researchers investigate whether temporary emergency allotments in SNAP were related to changes in the .