People in the United States who are a part of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, may be at greater risk of premature death than those who are not a part of the program, a new study finds. Share on Pinterest Researchers suggest that people in the U.S. who are a part of the SNAP program may be at greater risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Study leader Zach Conrad, Ph.D. – former postdoctoral fellow at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Medford, MA – and colleagues report their findings in the American Journal of Public Health. SNAP is a food assistance program overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Formerly known as the Food Stamps Program, SNAP offers food-purchasing assistance to individuals and families with a low income – defined as a gross monthly salary at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty line. In 2015, the federal government spent approximately $75 billion on SNAP, helping around 1 in 6 low-income U.S. individuals to purchase food. According to the USDA, SNAP is “the nation’s first line of defense against hunger and offers a powerful tool to improve nutrition among low-income people.” Food items that are eligible for purchase with SNAP benefits include fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, poultry, breads, cereals, and dairy products, as well as plants and seeds that produce edible foods. SNAP participants cannot use their benefits to purchase alcohol, cigarettes, or tobacco. However, “junk food” – such as soft drinks, candy, and cookies – can be purchased, since the 2008 Food and Nutrition Act defines eligible food as “any food or food product for home consumption.”

Mortality risk increased twofold for SNAP participants For their study, Conrad and colleagues analyzed data from the 2000-2009 National Health Interview Survey, which provided health information on 499,741 U.S. adults aged 25 and older. The researchers set out to investigate the differences in mortality between three groups: individuals who took part in SNAP between 2000-2009, people who were eligible for SNAP benefits (based on income) but who did not participate in the program, and those who were ineligible for SNAP. The survey data were linked to information on all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Compared with individuals who were ineligible for SNAP, those who participated in SNAP were found to have a twofold greater risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, and a threefold increased risk of diabetes mortality, over the 10-year period. The risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality was 1.5 times higher for individuals who were eligible for SNAP but who did not participate, compared with ineligible adults, while the risk of diabetes mortality was almost twofold higher. Looking at the data by race and ethnicity, the team found that the increased risk for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality was similar in both white and black individuals who took part in SNAP. Hispanics who participated in the program, however, were found to have a significantly lower mortality risk than that of other racial and ethnic groups. The increased risk of diabetes mortality for SNAP participants was similar across all races and ethnicities, the team reports.