The Food Stamp Cycle Negatively Impacts Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Participants’ Ability to Make Use of Fruit and Vegetable Incentives

Abstract

Fruit and vegetable (FV) incentive programs have been proposed as a way to increase FV intake in SNAP recipients. The most common incentive model matches incentives to the amount of SNAP benefits spent. Our objective was to determine if the food stamp cycle influences the use of matching FV incentives. In study 1 SNAP recipients were randomly assigned to receive either matching (n=13) or non-matching (n=15) FV incentives for use at the local farmers market (FM). Qualitative interviews were conducted among a subsample (n=14) of participants. In study 2 SNAP recipients (n=138) who used the Utah Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) program were surveyed at the FM and over the telephone 4 weeks later. In study 1 a chi-square test was used to evaluate the dropout rate between the matching and non-matching incentive groups. In study 2 at follow up, participants were asked to specify why they did or did not continue to use the DUFB program. In study 1 the matching group had a significantly higher dropout rate (46% vs. 13%, p<0.001). in the interview data, difficulty budgeting SNAP benefits was identified as a barrier for using the incentives. In study 2 the most common reason for not continuing to use the DUFB program was being out of SNAP benefits (20/37; 54%). The high dropout rate in the matching group indicates this intervention may not have intended reach. This may be because the food stamp cycle provides a barrier to use. Nutrition education for this population should include skills needed to budget SNAP benefits.