SNAP timing and food insecurity.

This paper makes several contributions to the literature regarding the measurement of food insecurity and implications for estimating factors that affect this outcome. First, we show that receipt of benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has a systematic effect on responses to questions in the 12-month food security module (FSM). We find that the probability of affirming more severe food hardships items, and the probability of being classified as having very low food security (VLFS), is higher just before and just after households receive their benefits.

The effects of skipping a meal on daily energy intake and diet quality.

Objective: To examine whether skipping breakfast or lunch increased the next meal's energy content and changed total daily energy content and the quality of food intake measured by the 2010 Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2010).

Design: Means were compared across intake days and meal patterns. Multivariate individual fixed-effects model was used to account for individual food intake and diet quality preferences.

Shiga Toxin-Producing (STEC) O157:H7 and Romaine Lettuce: Source Labeling, Prevention, and Business.

From May to November most romaine lettuce shipments in the United States come from California's Central Coast region, whereas from December to April most come from the Yuma, Arizona, region. During 2017-2018, the 3 outbreaks of Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) O157:H7 in US romaine lettuce all occurred at the tail end of a region's production season. During the fall 2018 outbreak, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended that suppliers begin labeling romaine packaging so that consumers can identify the product's harvest region.

How Much Can Product Reformulation Improve Diet Quality in Households with Children and Adolescents?

Improvements in the healthfulness of packaged foods and beverages through reformulation could help reduce the prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents through improved diet quality. This study assessed changes in calories and four nutrients (saturated fat, total sugars, sodium, and dietary fiber) from 2012 through 2014 for packaged products frequently consumed by children and adolescents, simulated effects of potential improvements in 12 frequently consumed product categories based on actual purchasing patterns, and compared differences in prices of healthier versus less healthy products. Analysis of trends showed limited evidence that healthfulness of foods improved over the years examined.

Changes in consumption of food away from home and intakes of energy and other nutrients among US working-age adults, 2005-2014.

Objective: To document changes in consumption of food away from home (FAFH) and intakes of selected nutrients by working-age adults between 2005-06 and 2013-14, covering the most recent recessionary period and recovery.

Design: Means were compared across survey rounds relative to 2005-06. Multivariate regression was used to account for changes in demographic characteristics over time.

Food Away from Home and Childhood Obesity.

Childhood obesity is associated with a number of serious health risks that can persist into adulthood. While trends in food away from home and fast-food consumption have paralleled trends in childhood obesity, it is important to identify whether this is a causal relationship. This paper reviews recent literature in this area to summarize if there is a consensus in research findings.

Caloric beverage intake among adult supplemental nutrition assistance program participants.

Objectives: We compared sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB), alcohol, and other caloric beverage (juice and milk) consumption of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants with that of low-income nonparticipants.

Methods: We used 1 day of dietary intake data from the 2005-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for 4594 adults aged 20 years and older with household income at or below 250% of the federal poverty line. We used bivariate and multivariate methods to compare the probability of consuming and the amount of calories consumed for each beverage type across 3 groups: current SNAP participants, former participants, and nonparticipants.

Predicting the Effects of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Taxes on Food and Beverage Demand in a Large Demand System.

A censored Exact Affine Stone Index incomplete demand system is estimated for 23 packaged foods and beverages and a numéraire good. Instrumental variables are used to control for endogenous prices. A half-cent per ounce increase in sugar-sweetened beverage prices is predicted to reduce total calories from the 23 foods and beverages but increase sodium and fat intakes as a result of product substitution.

Implications of a sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax when substitutions to non-beverage items are considered.

Using the 2006 Homescan panel, we estimate the changes in energy, fat and sodium purchases resulting from a tax that increases the price of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) by 20% and the effect of such a tax on body weight. In addition to substitutions that may arise with other beverages, we account for substitutions between SSBs and 12 major food categories. Our main findings are that the tax would result in a decrease in store-bought energy of 24.

The effect of early interventions in health and nutrition on on-time school enrollment: evidence from the Oportunidades Program in rural Mexico.

This article assesses whether early intervention to improve children's health and nutrition increases the probability of enrolling in primary school on time. Using experimental data from the Mexican conditional cash transfer (CCT) program, Oportunidades, a cross-sectional double-difference estimator on observations from two age cohorts of children is used to identify the impact of early intervention. The results indicate that early health and nutrition interventions can have a positive impact on the timing of enrollment and that caregiver characteristics affect the magnitude of the impact.

Impact of targeted beverage taxes on higher- and lower-income households.

Background: Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes are increasingly being considered as a strategy for addressing the obesity epidemic. We sought to investigate the differential impact of targeted beverage taxes on higher- and lower-income households.

Methods: This analysis relied on data from the 2006 Nielsen Homescan panel, which included a national sample of households that scan and transmit their store-bought food and beverage purchases weekly for a 12-month period.