Strategies to improve the dietary quality of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries: an assessment of stakeholder opinions

Objective: To examine the opinions of stakeholders on strategies to improve dietary quality of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants. Design: Participants answered a thirty-eight-item web-based survey assessing opinions and perceptions of SNAP and programme policy changes. Setting: USA. Subjects: Survey of 522 individuals with stakeholder interest in SNAP, conducted in October through December 2011. Results: The top three barriers to improving dietary quality identified were: (i) unhealthy foods marketed in low-income communities; (ii) the high cost of healthy foods; and (iii) lifestyle challenges faced by low-income individuals. Many respondents (70%) also disagreed that current SNAP benefit levels were adequate to maintain a healthy diet. Stakeholders believed that vouchers, coupons or monetary incentives for purchasing healthful foods might have the greatest potential for improving the diets of SNAP participants. Many respondents (78%) agreed that sodas should not be eligible for purchases with SNAP benefits. More than half (55%) believed retailers could easily implement such restrictions. A majority of respondents (58%) agreed that stores should stock a minimum quantity of healthful foods in order to be certified as a SNAP retailer, and most respondents (83%) believed that the US Department of Agriculture should collect data on the foods purchased with SNAP benefits. Conclusions: Results suggest that there is broad stakeholder support for policies that align SNAP purchase eligibility with national public health goals of reducing food insecurity, improving nutrition and preventing obesity.