Research
2023
SNAP eligibility and participation rates have been increasing for adults 50 years and older since 2008. At the same time, SNAP participation continues to fall over the life course, with the lowest rates concentrated among individuals 85 years and above. We use longitudinal data from the nationally representative Health and Retirement Survey from 2002 to 2016 to document how SNAP eligibility, participation, and take-up changed over time for older adults.
This paper examines the dynamic of food insecurity for older adults over the past two decades and how it relates with different poverty measures, including the official poverty measure, Supplemental Poverty Measure, and Supplemental Poverty Measure enhanced with imputed rent. It further examines how age, birth cohort, and the Great Recession shape the relationship of food insecurity and poverty.
2022
We examined the association of Medicare eligibility with food security and food pantry visiting patterns among senior (aged ≥60 years) food pantry clients in Dallas, Texas. We used data from the pantry linked to electronic health records (EHR) from a safety-net healthcare system.
Examining experiences of food hardship and SNAP enrollment among near-old and older Americans: A multi-method approach
This project examines reasons why food insecure older adults in the U.S. are under-enrolled in SNAP and why this pattern varies among older adults of different ages. Conventional wisdom suggests several explanations that discourage participation, ranging from older adults’ preferences to program limitations. We examine the topic with two approaches.
Using administrative data from Georgia covering January 2018-August 2020, we estimated the effect of services provided through the Older Americans Act (OAA) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) on food insecurity among older Georgians. Our sample included those who received services prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the entire sample period (i.e., pre-COVID and during COVID), we found home-delivered meals and other OAA services reduced food insecurity by roughly 3% and 4%, respectively.
Using data from the Panel Study on Income Dynamics (PSID), this small grant conducted three studies designed to increase understanding of food-related hardships among older Americans.
Using data from the Panel Study on Income Dynamics (PSID), this small grant conducted three studies designed to increase understanding of food-related hardships among older Americans.
Senior participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has traditionally been lower than other groups, with historical estimates below 50 percent. We examine the relationship between state SNAP policy changes occurring over the 2001-2014 period and SNAP participation as well the relationship between SNAP participation and a variety of health-related outcomes for senior and non-senior households.
The goals of this program of research are to estimate (1) the sociodemographic predictors of food insufficiency among seniors ages 60 and older and (2) the causal impacts of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid on food insecurity and/or insufficiency among seniors. I use data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), Current Population Survey (CPS), National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and American Community Survey (ACS).