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SNAP Participants’ Eating Patterns over the Benefit Month: A Time Use Perspective

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  • Karen S Hamrick
  • Margaret Andrews

Abstract

Individuals receiving monthly benefits through the U.S. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) often fall short of food at the end of the month and some report feelings of hunger. To investigate this situation, we used time diaries from the 2006–08 American Time Use Survey and Eating & Health Module to identify the timing of days where respondents reported no eating occurrences. Analysis includes descriptive statistics, a logit model, and a simulated benefit month. We found that SNAP participants were increasingly more likely than nonparticipants to report a day with no eating occurrences over the benefit issuance cycle. This supports the view that there is a monthly cycle in food consumption associated with the SNAP monthly benefit issuance policy.

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  • Karen S Hamrick & Margaret Andrews, 2016. "SNAP Participants’ Eating Patterns over the Benefit Month: A Time Use Perspective," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(7), pages 1-18, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0158422
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158422
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    1. Jeffrey H Dorfman & Christian Gregory & Zhongyuan Liu & Ran Huo, 2019. "Re-Examining the SNAP Benefit Cycle Allowing for Heterogeneity," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 41(3), pages 404-433.
    2. Marks, Mindy & Prina, Silvia & Tahaj, Redina, 2023. "Short-Term Labor Supply Response to the Timing of Transfer Payments: Evidence from the SNAP Program," IZA Discussion Papers 16299, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Heng Yaw Yong & Zalilah Mohd Shariff & Barakatun Nisak Mohd Yusof & Zulida Rejali & Yvonne Yee Siang Tee & Jacques Bindels & Eline M. van der Beek, 2021. "Higher Parity, Pre-Pregnancy BMI and Rate of Gestational Weight Gain Are Associated with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Food Insecure Women," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-11, March.
    4. Michael A. Kuhn, 2021. "Electronic Benefit Transfer and Food Expenditure Cycles," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 40(3), pages 744-773, June.
    5. Marco T. C. Stam & Marike G. Knoef & Anke A. T. Ramakers, 2024. "Crime over the welfare payment cycle," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 62(3), pages 1309-1334, July.
    6. Susan Chen & Le Wang, 2021. "SNAP participation, diet quality, and obesity: robust evidence with estimation techniques without external instrumental variables," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 61(3), pages 1641-1667, September.
    7. Timothy K. M. Beatty & Marianne P. Bitler & Xinzhe Huang Cheng & Cynthia van der Werf, 2019. "SNAP and Paycheck Cycles," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 86(1), pages 18-48, July.
    8. Jillian B. Carr & Analisa Packham, 2021. "SNAP Schedules and Domestic Violence," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 40(2), pages 412-452, March.
    9. Pourya Valizadeh & Travis A. Smith & Michele Ver Ploeg, 2021. "Do SNAP Households Pay Different Prices throughout the Benefit Month?," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 43(3), pages 1051-1075, September.
    10. Lee, Ji Yong & Nayga Jr, Rodolfo M. & Jo, Young & Restrepo, Brandon J., 2022. "Time use and eating patterns of SNAP participants over the benefit month," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    11. Gulek, Ahmet, 2024. "Driving while hungry: The effect of fasting on traffic accidents," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    12. Cotti, Chad D. & Gordanier, John M. & Ozturk, Orgul D., 2020. "Hunger pains? SNAP timing and emergency room visits," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    13. Aparna Soni & Taryn Morrissey, 2022. "The effects of Medicaid expansion on home production and childcare," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 88(3), pages 931-950, January.
    14. Anne T. Byrne & David R. Just, 2021. "The Other Half: An Examination of Monthly Food Pantry Cycles in the Context of SNAP Benefits," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 43(2), pages 716-731, June.
    15. Lovett Nicholas, 2018. "Food Stamps, Income Shocks, and Crime: Evidence from California," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 18(4), pages 1-19, October.
    16. Dahan, Momi & Sayag, Doron, 2024. "Scarcity and consumption priorities," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    17. Marcus, Michelle & Yewell, Katherine G., 2022. "The Effect of Free School Meals on Household Food Purchases: Evidence from the Community Eligibility Provision," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    18. Xu, Lei & Plakias, Zoë, 2022. "The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Food Insecurity, and Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in Appalachian Ohio," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322370, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    19. Cotti, Chad D. & Gordanier, John M. & Ozturk, Orgul D., 2021. "Does distributing SNAP benefits later in the month smooth expenditures?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).

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