Food Stamps Are Associated with Food Security and Dietary Intake of Inner-City Preschoolers from Hartford, Connecticut

Abstract

The goal of the present study was to examine the association of the Food Stamp Program with the food security and dietary intake of low-income children from Hartford, CT, who were enrolled in the Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). We compared the food and nutrition situation of low-income preschoolers who received food stamps (FS, n = 59) with that of those who did not receive food stamps (NFS, n = 40). Children were an average age of 2.7 +/- 0.6 y, and 95% were receiving WIC benefits at the time of the study. Groups were comparable in demographic characteristics, but the socioeconomic status of the FS group was lower than that of the NFS group (P < 0.05). Food security was assessed with the Radimer/Cornell hunger scale, and dietary intake was assessed with a single 24-h recall and a 14-item food frequency questionnaire. Multivariate analyses within the FS group indicated that a monthly duration of food stamps of <4 wk was a predictor of household food security (odds ratio 0.10, 95% confidence interval 0.02-0.56). Food stamp use was associated with above-median energy-adjusted intakes of vitamin B-6 (3.13, 1.16-8.45), folate (2.92, 1.09-7.81) and iron (3.72, 1.31-10.54). The NFS children were more likely to consume <8 mg iron/d (3.73, 1.09-12.80). These results suggest that the Food Stamp Program is associated with food security and preschoolers' micronutrient intake.

Food insecurity is associated with dietary intake and body size of Korean children from low-income families in urban areas

“…Degrees of food insecurity measured by the 10-item Radimer/Cornell Scale were linearly associated with socioeconomic status, representing the greater the food insecurity, the poorer the socioeconomic conditions. It suggests that a use of the scale was acceptable to assess food insecurity in Korea as in the cases of other countries (Kendall et al, 1996;Pérez-Escamilla et al, 2000;Studdert et al, 2001). Nevertheless, a direct validity test for Korean population seemed to be desirable.…”

Acculturation, economics and food insecurity among refugees resettled in the USA: a case study of West African refugees

“…This relationship suggests that management strategies might be an important area for intervention and education, as has been suggested for other low-income populations. For instance, Perez-Escamilla et al 15 showed in a communitybased study of low-income FSP participants in Hartford, Connecticut that early completion of food stamps was associated with increased likelihood of being food-insecure. Caseworkers at resettlement agencies have also reported that paying bills and managing money are among the primary difficulties experienced by newcomers to the USA.…”

Segurança alimentar em famílias indígenas Teréna, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil

“…Estudo realizado em Hartford, Estados Unidos, que comparou níveis de segurança alimentar em famílias beneficiárias ou não de programas assistenciais e contemplou famílias com crianças menores de sessenta meses, evidenciou que a inserção nos programas de suporte alimentar garantia a segurança alimentar e o consumo de micronutrientes pelas crianças 27 . No presente estudo, onde todas as famílias recebiam a cesta de alimentos e a maioria está inserida em programas de distribuição de renda, não foi observada a mesma relação, e o consumo adequado de micronutrientes também não foi constatado, seja para famílias beneficiárias ou não de programas de distribuição de renda.…”