SNAP at the Community Scale: How Neighborhood Characteristics Affect Participation and Food Access

Nevin Cohen

doi:10.2105/AJPH.2019.305363

SNAP at the Community Scale: How Neighborhood Characteristics Affect Participation and Food Access

Am J Public Health. 2019 Dec;109(12):1646-1651. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2019.305363. Epub 2019 Oct 17.

Author

Nevin Cohen¹

Affiliation

¹ Nevin Cohen is with the Department of Health Policy and Management and the City University of New York (CUNY) Urban Food Policy Institute, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, New York, NY.

Abstract

Cities are spatially diverse, with enclaves of particular demographic groups, clusters of businesses, and pockets of low-income individuals living amid affluence.This essay presents data from New York City to illustrate the importance of measuring and addressing neighborhood characteristics that affect Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation and the purchasing power of SNAP benefits: pockets of "eligible-but-not-enrolled" individuals, proximity between SNAP participants and jobs, and variations in food prices across neighborhoods.It concludes with 5 examples of how addressing these community-scale issues can increase SNAP participation and food access.

MeSH terms

Age Factors
Cities
Eligibility Determination / statistics & numerical data
Employment
Food Assistance / economics*
Food Assistance / statistics & numerical data*
Food Supply / economics*
Food Supply / statistics & numerical data*
Humans
Internet
New York City
Poverty
Residence Characteristics / statistics & numerical data*
Socioeconomic Factors