Food insecurity gaps in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program based on disability status

Laura J Samuel; Jiafeng Zhu; Pallavi Dwivedi; Elizabeth A Stuart; Sarah L Szanton; Qiwei Li; Roland J Thorpe Jr; Nicholas S Reed; Bonnielin K Swenor

doi:10.1016/j.dhjo.2023.101486

Food insecurity gaps in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program based on disability status

Disabil Health J. 2023 Oct;16(4):101486. doi: 10.1016/j.dhjo.2023.101486. Epub 2023 Jun 2.

Authors

Laura J Samuel¹, Jiafeng Zhu², Pallavi Dwivedi³, Elizabeth A Stuart⁴, Sarah L Szanton⁵, Qiwei Li⁶, Roland J Thorpe Jr⁷, Nicholas S Reed⁸, Bonnielin K Swenor⁹

Affiliations

¹ Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, USA. Electronic address: lsamuel@jhmi.edu.
² Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA. Electronic address: jzhu70@jhu.edu.
³ Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, USA. Electronic address: pdwived2@jhmi.edu.
⁴ Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA. Electronic address: estuart@jhu.edu.
⁵ Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Public Health, and Medicine, USA. Electronic address: sarah.szanton@jhu.edu.
⁶ Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, USA. Electronic address: qli84@jh.edu.
⁷ Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA. Electronic address: rthorpe@jhu.edu.
⁸ Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA. Electronic address: nreed9@jhmi.edu.
⁹ The Johns Hopkins Disability Health Research Center, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, USA. Electronic address: bswenor@jhmi.edu.

PMID: 37353370
PMCID: PMC10527001 (available on 2024-10-01)
DOI: 10.1016/j.dhjo.2023.101486

Abstract

Background: Households including someone with disabilities experience disproportionately high food insecurity rates and likely face disproportionate barriers accessing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

Objective: This article aims to examine the role of SNAP with regard to food insecurity disparities based on disability status.

Methods: Modified Poisson regression models examined food insecurity risk based on disability status (household includes no one with disabilities vs. those with work-limiting disabilities or non-work-limiting disabilities) among 2018 Survey of Income and Program Participation households eligible for SNAP (income ≤130% of the poverty threshold). Weighted estimates were used to account for the study design and non-response.

Results: Households including someone with work-limiting disabilities were more than twice as likely to be food insecure than households including no one with disabilities (PR = 2.16, 95% CI: 1.90, 2.45); households including someone with non-work-limiting disabilities were 65% more likely (PR = 1.65, 95% CI: 1.39, 1.95). However, disparities were more pronounced among households not participating in SNAP (PR = 2.67, 95% CI: 2.22, 3.23 for work-limiting disabilities and PR = 1.86, 95% CI: 1.44, 2.40 for non-work-limiting disabilities) than SNAP-participating households (PR = 1.71, 95% CI: 1.45, 2.03 and PR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.17, 1.82, respectively). Approximately 4.2 million low-income U.S. households including someone with disabilities are food insecure. Of these, 1.4 million were not participating in SNAP and another 2.8 million households were food insecure despite participating in SNAP.

Conclusions: Access to SNAP benefits is not proportionate to the scale of food insecurity among households that include people with disabilities. Action is needed to strengthen food assistance for those with disabilities.

Keywords: Disability; Food assistance; Food security; Health equity; Socioeconomic factors.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Disabled Persons*
Food Assistance*
Food Insecurity
Food Supply
Humans
Income
Poverty

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding