背景:补充营养援助计划(SNAP)在减轻贫困和粮食不安全方面发挥着关键作用。尽管有这些好处,许多有资格获得SNAP的美国老年人不参加该计划。很少有研究探讨与老年黑人美国人中不参与有关的家庭因素和粮食不安全结果。
目标:研究的目的是探讨SNAP参与者在2020年至2021年之间的粮食不安全和相关财务困难结果的变化。符合条件的非参与者,和不合格的非参与者;比较不参与SNAP的原因;并比较与SNAP不参与相关的家庭因素。
方法:纵向设计检查2020年和2021年的数据,以评估COVID-19大流行过程中粮食不安全的变化。
方法:/设置:参与者是528名成年人(30-97岁),他们是从匹兹堡两个收入较低的黑人社区的所有居住地址列表中随机选择的,PA在2020年3月至5月和2021年5月至12月期间进行了调查。
方法:使用经过验证的6项美国农业部成人食品安全调查模块来衡量食品安全。
方法:调查结果基于对粮食安全和相关指标的描述性分析。进行统计测试以评估SNAP参与状态和个体特征之间的差异,粮食安全,财务困难采用WaldF检验进行连续测量,采用Pearsonχ2检验进行分类测量。使用多变量线性模型来评估SNAP参与和资格状态与粮食不安全变化的关联。
结果:在2021年数据的横截面分析中,在SNAP参与者和符合条件的非参与者之间没有观察到食物不安全的差异,食物银行使用,平均每人每周的食物支出,很难支付基本费用。然而,关于大流行期间粮食不安全的变化,SNAP参与者在2020年至2021年之间的平均粮食安全评分有了更大的改善(平均粮食不安全评分降低了-0.52或粮食安全提高了16%,P≤0.05)相对于符合SNAP标准的非参与者。认为不合格(71.3%)和认为缺乏需求23%)是不参加SNAP的最常见原因。
结论:超过三分之一的SNAP参与者和符合条件的非参与者经历了粮食不安全和经济困难。然而,这些群体在粮食不安全方面的变化存在差异.
BACKGROUND: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) plays a critical role in alleviating poverty and food insecurity. Despite these benefits, many older Americans who are eligible for SNAP do not participate in the program. Few studies have explored household factors and food insecurity outcomes associated with nonparticipation among older Black Americans.
OBJECTIVE: The study aim was to explore changes in food insecurity and related financial hardship outcomes between 2020 and 2021 among SNAP participants, eligible nonparticipants, and ineligible nonparticipants; compare reasons for not participating in SNAP; and to compare household factors associated with SNAP nonparticipation.
METHODS: Longitudinal design examining data from 2020 and 2021 to assess changes in food insecurity over the course of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
METHODS: Participants were 528 adults (aged 30 to 97 years) in households randomly selected from a listing of all residential addresses in two predominantly Black neighborhoods with lower incomes in Pittsburgh, PA, and surveyed between March to May 2020 and May to December 2021.
METHODS: Food security was measured using the validated 6-item US Department of Agriculture Adult Food Security Survey Module.
METHODS: Findings are based on a descriptive analysis of food security and related indicators. Statistical testing was performed to assess differences between SNAP participation status and individual characteristics, food security, and financial hardship using Wald F test for continuous measures and Pearson χ2 test for categorical measures. A multivariable linear model was used to assess the association of SNAP participation and eligibility status with change in food insecurity.
RESULTS: In cross-sectional analyses of 2021 data, no differences were observed between SNAP participants and eligible nonparticipants for food insecurity, food bank use, mean weekly food spending per person, and difficulty paying for basics. However, with respect to changes in food insecurity over the course of the pandemic, SNAP participants experienced a greater improvement in mean food security scores between 2020 and 2021 (-0.52 reduction in mean food insecurity score or a 16% improvement in food security; P ≤ 0.05) relative to SNAP-eligible nonparticipants. Perceived ineligibility (71.3%) and perceived lack of need (23%) were the most common reasons for not participating in SNAP.
CONCLUSIONS: More than one-third of SNAP participants and eligible nonparticipants experienced food insecurity and financial hardship. However, there were differences in the changes in food insecurity between these groups.