Table 2.
Associations Between SNAP Participation and Adolescent Diet Quality: NHANES 2003–2010a
| Dietary components | Mean | Median | 10th, 90th percentile |
% Meeting guideline |
Relative differenceb |
95% CI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetables (servings/day) | ||||||
| Higher-income non-participants | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.7, 2.2 | 0 | Ref. | |
| Income-eligible nonparticipants | 1.5 | 1.4 | 0.7, 2.4 | 0 | 1.07 | 0.90, 1.27 |
| SNAP participants | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.6, 2.1 | 0 | 1.05 | 0.86, 1.28 |
| Fruit (servings/day) | ||||||
| Higher-income non-participants | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.1, 1.9 | 0.8 | Ref. | |
| Income-eligible nonparticipants | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.1, 2.2 | 1.2 | 1.57 | 1.19, 2.08 |
| SNAP participants | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.1, 2.0 | 1.0 | 1.40 | 0.99, 1.98 |
| 100% fruit juice (servings/day) | ||||||
| Higher-income non-participants | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0, 0.8 | - | Ref. | |
| Income-eligible nonparticipants | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.1, 1.1 | - | 0.81 | 0.52, 1.26 |
| SNAP participants | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.0, 0.9 | - | 0.58c | 0.37, 0.91 |
| Whole grains (servings/day) | ||||||
| Higher-income non-participants | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.1, 1.0 | 0 | Ref. | |
| Income-eligible nonparticipants | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.1, 0.9 | 0 | 0.96 | 0.72, 1.27 |
| SNAP participants | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.1, 0.9 | 0 | 0.89 | 0.67, 1.19 |
| Sugary beverages (servings/day) | ||||||
| Higher-income non-participants | 3.0 | 2.9 | 1.2, 5.0 | 2.2 | Ref. | |
| Income-eligible nonparticipants | 3.1 | 2.9 | 1.3, 5.2 | 2.3 | 0.98 | 0.81, 1.18 |
| SNAP participants | 3.0 | 2.8 | 1.4, 4.8 | 1.4 | 1.06 | 0.87, 1.29 |
| Nuts, legumes, and soy (servings/day) | ||||||
| Higher-income non-participants | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.1, 1.8 | 49.0 | Ref. | |
| Income-eligible nonparticipants | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.1, 1.8 | 48.4 | 1.05 | 0.70, 1.58 |
| SNAP participants | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.1, 1.8 | 45.4 | 0.96 | 0.61, 1.51 |
| Red meat (servings/day) | ||||||
| Higher-income non-participants | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.1, 0.6 | 92.5 | Ref. | |
| Income-eligible nonparticipants | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.1, 0.6 | 90.7 | 0.90 | 0.66, 1.24 |
| SNAP participants | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.1, 0.6 | 92.5 | 0.91 | 0.65, 1.29 |
| Processed meat (servings/day) | ||||||
| Higher-income non-participants | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.1, 0.8 | 39.9 | Ref. | |
| Income-eligible nonparticipants | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.1, 0.8 | 44.5 | 1.10 | 0.81, 1.48 |
| SNAP participants | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.1, 0.8 | 39.3 | 1.37c | 0.97, 1.96 |
| Long-chain fatty acids (g/day) | ||||||
| Higher-income non-participants | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.02, 0.07 | 0 | Ref. | |
| Income-eligible nonparticipants | 0.05 | 0.04 | 0.02, 0.09 | 0 | 1.15 | 0.70, 1.90 |
| SNAP participants | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.02, 0.07 | 0 | 0.91 | 0.57, 1.47 |
| Polyunsaturated fat (% energy) | ||||||
| Higher-income non-participants | 7.1 | 7.0 | 5.4, 8.9 | - | Ref. | |
| Income-eligible nonparticipants | 7.3 | 7.2 | 5.6, 9.1 | - | 1.03 | 0.94, 1.14 |
| SNAP participants | 7.2 | 7.0 | 5.4, 9.0 | - | 0.99 | 0.89, 1.10 |
| Sodium (mg/day) | ||||||
| Higher-income non-participants | 3445 | 3353 | 2294, 4721 | 9.7 | Ref. | |
| Income-eligible nonparticipants | 3457 | 3357 | 2297, 4739 | 9.6 | 0.98 | 0.93, 1.04 |
| SNAP participants | 3232 | 3139 | 2138, 4442 | 14.0 | 0.99 | 0.94, 1.04 |
| Alternate Healthy Eating Index-2010 score | ||||||
| Higher-income non-participants | 34.2 | 33.9 | 26.8, 41.8 | - | Ref. | |
| Income-eligible nonparticipants | 35.0 | 34.8 | 27.5, 42.9 | - | 1.03 | 0.97, 1.09 |
| SNAP participants | 33.5 | 33.2 | 26.2, 41.1 | - | 0.97c | 0.92, 1.04 |
Note: Boldface indicates statistical significance (p<0.05).
a
Diet quality assessed using the Alternate Healthy Eating Index-2010
b
Relative difference obtained from generalized linear models adjusted for adolescent’s age, adolescent’s gender, adolescent’s race/ethnicity, parental birth place, parental educational attainment, parental marital status, household size, household income, household WIC participation, household food insecurity, and total energy intake.
c
p<0.05 comparing SNAP participants to income-eligible nonparticipants
SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, NHANES, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey