Table 1.
Focus Group and County Characteristics. Description of focus groups conducted with SNAP participants in California to understand their experiences of the 2019 SNAP benefit disruption.
| Los Angeles | Tuolumne | San Mateo | San Francisco | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus Group Characteristics | ||||
| Date | 2/28/19 | 3/1/19 | 3/13/19 | 3/15/19 |
| Time of day | Morning | Midday | Evening | Afternoon |
| Number of participants | 9 | 8 | 5 | 4 |
| Language | Spanish | English | English | English |
| Location | Middle school | Food bank | Homeless family shelter | American Red Cross facility |
| Population | Mothers of school-age children | Adults | Parents raising children | Adults |
| County Characteristics | ||||
| Region | Southern CA | Northern CA | SF Bay Area | SF Bay Area |
| Urbanicity | Urban | Rural | Suburban | Urban |
| Population [42] | 10,039,107 | 54,478 | 766,573 | 881,549 |
| Predominant racial/ethnic groups [42] | Latinx (49%), White (26%) Asian (15%) |
White (80%), Latinx (13%) | White (40%), Asian (30%), Latinx (24%) | White (40%), Asian (40%), Latinx (15%) |
| Median household income (annual in US dollars) [42] | $64,251 | $56,493 | $113,776 | $104,552 |
| Poverty rate [42,43] | 23.0% | 6.8% | 16.5% | 18.2% |
UC Cooperative Extension Advisors collaborated with community partners, including two food banks, a middle school, and a homeless shelter, to host focus groups. All focus group participants were at least 18 years old and nearly all were participating in SNAP, although a couple were in the process of enrolling or re-enrolling in the program. Focus group participants received a $40 gift card in appreciation of their contributions. The Institutional Review Board of the University of California, Davis, approved the study.