Table 1.

Public opinion regarding federal spending on SNAP by sociodemographic factors in a survey of 3024 US adults aged 18 years or older selected by random digit dialling conducted in April 2012

	Increase or maintain spending				Decrease spending
	Frequency	%	Weighted %	95 % CI for weighted %	Frequency	%	Weighted %	95 % CI for weighted %	P value*
Overall	2244	74	77	75, 79	700	23	21	19, 23
Political party identification
Republican	697	57	61	58, 65	490	40	36	33, 40	<0·0001
Democrat	1204	88	88	86, 90	128	9	10	8, 12
Independent	245	77	81	76, 86	56	18	16	11, 21
Region
Northeast	437	79	79	75, 83	108	19	19	15, 23	0·417
Midwest	511	75	76	72, 80	150	22	22	18, 26
South	795	71	75	72, 78	291	26	23	20, 26
West	501	75	80	76, 83	151	23	18	14, 21
Income
<$US 35 000	761	83	87	85, 90	127	14	11	9, 13	<0·0001
$US 35 000–49 999	281	77	77	72, 83	81	22	22	16, 28
$US 50 000–74 999	291	68	72	66, 77	125	29	26	21, 30
$US 75 000–99 999	226	71	69	63, 76	88	28	29	23, 35
≥$US 100 000	339	67	68	63, 73	157	31	31	26, 36
Don't know/refused	346	69	71	65, 76	122	24	23	18, 27
Education
≤High school	776	79	81	78, 84	173	18	16	14, 19	<0·0001
Some college	630	74	76	73, 80	206	24	22	19, 25
≥College	805	70	70	67, 74	314	27	27	24, 30
Race/ethnicity
White NH	1642	72	74	72, 76	591	26	24	22, 26	<0·0001
Black NH	272	91	91	87, 95	19	6	7	3, 10
Hispanic	142	83	84	77, 90	25	15	15	9, 21
Other/mixed race	147	74	77	69, 84	48	24	22	15, 29
Gender
Male	1077	71	74	71, 77	408	27	24	21, 27	0·001
Female	1167	78	80	77, 82	292	19	18	15, 20
Age (years)
18–34	253	79	81	77, 86	61	19	17	13, 21	<0·0001
35–44	237	72	73	68, 78	83	25	24	20, 29
45–54	440	75	77	74, 81	132	23	21	17, 24
55–64	577	78	79	76, 82	153	21	19	16, 22
65+	726	71	72	69, 75	260	25	23	21, 26

SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; NH, non-Hispanic.

Proportions are presented based on both unweighted and weighted frequencies. Party identification as Democrat or Republican includes those who responded as Independents but reported leaning towards either party. Whites, blacks and other/mixed race are non-Hispanic; Hispanics are of any race. Responses to the SNAP spending question are not reported from respondents answering ‘don't know’ or refusing responses to demographic questions unless the ‘don't know/refused’ category was greater than 10 % of respondents to the demographic question.

*P value based on Rao–Scott χ ² test of association between demographic categories and attitudes towards spending (increased a lot, increased a little or kept the same v. decreased a little, decreased a lot or don't know) on SNAP adjusting for survey design.