Household decisions related to food access and expenditure: essays on food insecurity and SNAP participation in the United States

Abstract

Recent trends in food insecurity and participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program have highlighted the need to re-examine the effectiveness of the current SNAP as well as overlooked predictors of food insecurity. In Essay 1, this dissertation estimates the effect of the implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on food expenditure of SNAP participants and finds increases in benefit levels resulted in higher levels of food expenditure above and beyond the effect on total expenditure. Essay 2 examines the effects of energy price shocks on the probability of varying levels of food insufficiency and finds unexpected energy price shocks significantly affect the probability of each food insufficiency indicator. Finally, Essay 3 examines the relationship between time spent in food-related activities and food insecurity and SNAP participation and finds significant relationships between food preparation and food insecurity as well as eating and SNAP participation.