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Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Use Among Active-Duty Military Personnel, Veterans, and Reservists

Author

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  • Andrew London
  • Colleen Heflin

Abstract

Subpopulations have variable connections to specific institutions, such as the military, which can influence their use of social programs and access to resources. We use data from the 5-year (2008–2012) American Community Survey (ACS) public-use file to examine current Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) use by military service status: active-duty personnel, recent veterans, long-term veterans, and reserve/guard members. Overall and by military service status, we estimate weighted descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression models that include demographic and socioeconomic controls. We document low but non-trivial levels of participation among active-duty personnel (2.2 %), higher but still moderate levels of SNAP use among veterans (7.1 % for recent veterans and 6.5 % for long-term veterans), and the highest level of use among members of the reserve/guard (9.0 %). Multivariate analyses support hypotheses based on the potential for the military, as a total institution, to substantially reduce use of SNAP among active-duty personnel, while veterans and reservists, who are more distal from food-related institutional resources, have higher likelihoods of using SNAP. Although levels of SNAP use among active-duty personnel, veterans, and reservists are lower than those observed in the national population, which includes those with no direct connection to military institutions, findings suggest that leaving active-duty military service results in a substantial and relatively immediate reduction in food-related resources for many recent veterans and their families. We discuss the implications of the findings for policy, limitations of the research, and directions for future research. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Andrew London & Colleen Heflin, 2015. "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Use Among Active-Duty Military Personnel, Veterans, and Reservists," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 34(6), pages 805-826, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:poprpr:v:34:y:2015:i:6:p:805-826
    DOI: 10.1007/s11113-015-9373-x
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    1. Yue Qin & Douglas A. Sneddon & Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth & Dave Topp & Rena A. Sterrett & Jake R. Newton & Heather A. Eicher-Miller, 2023. "Grit but Not Help-Seeking Was Associated with Food Insecurity among Low Income, At-Risk Rural Veterans," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-14, January.
    2. Rabbitt, Matthew P. & Smith, Michael D., 2021. "Food Insecurity Among Working-Age Veterans," USDA Miscellaneous 311332, United States Department of Agriculture.
    3. Scott D. Landes & Andrew S. London & Janet M. Wilmoth, 2018. "Mortality Among Veterans and Non-veterans: Does Type of Health Care Coverage Matter?," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 37(4), pages 517-537, August.
    4. Rabbitt, Matthew P. & Smith, Michael D., 2021. "Food Insecurity Among Working-Age Veterans," USDA Miscellaneous 311332, United States Department of Agriculture.

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