P36 - Impact of Food Assistance Program Participation on Food Security Patterns: A Longitudinal Study of Women in Illinois

Abstract

Background (Background, Rationale, Prior Research, and/or Theory): Programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) are national food insecurity (FI) alleviation efforts. However, most research is cross-sectional and longitudinal evidence is scarce. Objective: This study aimed to assess the longitudinal relationship between food assistance program participation and FI status over time among a sample of women. Study Design, Setting, Participants, Intervention: Women (18–64 years) were recruited in-person across Illinois at sites serving high risk populations (subsidized child care, housing department, etc.). Participants completed sociodemographic questionnaires in-person and scheduled phone calls to obtain FI information. Women provided data over 15 months. The 6-item USDA Food Security Survey Module was administered over the phone 4 times during the study to categorize women as food secure or insecure. Over time, FI patterns were considered stable (either secure or insecure), transitioning (from one category to another), or unstable. Fisher's exact tests were used to compare program use by FI pattern. Results: Of the 297 eligible participants, n = 98 women completed ≥3 phone calls to provide patterns over time. Participants were average age 35.9 years old (±10.2), 52.0% White, 51.6% had incomes <$1600/month, and 83.3% lived in households with children. Fifty-four percent utilized SNAP and 31.7% of women in households with children used WIC. At baseline, 63.3% of participants were food secure and 53% were consistently secure over 15 months. WIC use (P = .001) but not SNAP use (P = .112) was significantly related to FI pattern, with more WIC users transitioning from food insecure to food secure. Conclusions and Implications: Though hindered by attrition, results provide recent data related to FI patterns over time. In our sample, WIC participation was associated with transitioning from food insecure to food secure over 15 months. Future work should investigate this with larger datasets over longer periods. Funding: USDA.