An Assessment of the Relationship of SNAP and Anemia Among School-Aged Children and Adolescents Living in Households With Food Insecurity

An Assessment of the Relationship of SNAP and Anemia Among School-Aged Children and Adolescents Living in Households With Food Insecurity

Children in food-insecure households have an increased risk of anemia. Participation in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP) has several benefits. However, it is unknown if it ameliorates anemia among school-aged children and adolescents living in food-insecure households. This study ai...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Inquiry (Chicago) Vol. 59; p. 469580211067498
Main Authors: Adeyemi, Oluwaseun J., Stullken, Julia D., Baah, Emmanuel G., Olagbemiro, Neema, Huber, Larissa R.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 02-02-2022
SAGE Publishing
Subjects:
Adolescent
Anemia - epidemiology
Child
Food Assistance
Food Insecurity
Food Supply
Humans
Nutrition Surveys
Original
infants
and children
supplemental nutrition assistance programs
hematocrit
children’s health
special supplemental nutrition program for women
food insecurity
anemia
Adolescent’s health
food-insecure households
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Summary:Children in food-insecure households have an increased risk of anemia. Participation in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP) has several benefits. However, it is unknown if it ameliorates anemia among school-aged children and adolescents living in food-insecure households. This study aims to assess the association of SNAP participation and anemia among children and adolescents living in households experiencing food insecurity. The sample population (n = 1635), aged 6 to 18 years, were pooled from the 2003–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The exposure of interest was self-reported household SNAP participation. The outcome variable was the presence or absence of anemia, classified using the blood hematocrit concentration values. Survey weighted logistic regression was performed to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% Confidence Interval (CI) of the association between participation in SNAP and anemia in food-insecure children. We found that over 80% of anemic children and adolescents, living in food-insecure households, participated in SNAP, while 63% of non-anemic children and adolescents, living in food-insecure households participated in SNAP (p = .007). Among children living in food-insecure households, SNAP participants had 3-fold increased odds of anemia compared to those who do not participate in SNAP, after adjusting for confounders (OR = 3.33, 95% CI: 1.25–8.88). In this study, SNAP participation was associated with increased odds of anemia in children and adolescents living in food-insecure households. Additional research is needed to assess if these unexpected findings are related to the adequacy of SNAP, affordability, and accessibility to healthy foods, or the household and individual food preferences in food-insecure households.
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ISSN:0046-9580
1945-7243
DOI:10.1177/00469580211067498