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Table 1 Sociodemographic characteristics of participants in federal food assistance programs, food insecure individuals, and other individuals 2001–2014 (n = 34,741)

From: Nutrient intake disparities in the US: modeling the effect of food substitutions

Characteristic

n

Food insecure, non-participants (n = 3631)

WIC participants (n = 636)

SNAP participants (n = 4020)

Food secure, non-participants (n = 26,454)

  

% (95% CI)a

Age (y)

34,741

41.5

(40.5–42.4)

26.3

(25.6–26.9)

42.9

(42.1–43.7)

48.0

(47.5–48.5)

Female

34,741

50.0

(47.8–51.4)

100.0

(NA)

59.0

(57.1–60.9)

50.7

(50.1–51.3)

Race-ethnicity

29,696

        

 Non-Hispanic white

 

56.9

(52.0–61.6)

43.0

(35.4–50.8)

56.7

(50.7–62.4)

82.7

(80.7–84.6)

 Non-Hispanic black

 

20.3

(17.5–23.5)

28.3

(22.6–34.9)

30.6

(26.3–25.4)

10.0

(8.8–11.3)

 Mexican American

 

22.8

(19.3–26.8)

28.7

(22.8–35.4)

12.7

(9.7–16.4)

7.3

(6.1–8.6)

Education

34,704

        

 Less than high school

 

33.9

(31.1–36.7)

34.0

(28.8–40.0)

39.5

(37.0–42.1)

13.6

(12.6–14.7)

 High school or equivalent

 

27.0

(24.8–29.2)

34.1

(26.7–36.5)

28.4

(26.1–31.0)

22.9

(21.8–24.0)

 Some college

 

31.4

(28.8–34.2)

29.0

(24.2–34.2)

27.1

(25.1–29.1)

31.8

(30.8–32.7)

 College graduate

 

7.7

(6.4–9.3)

5.6

(3.7–8.5)

5.0

(3.9–6.3)

31.7

(30.1–33.4)

Marital status

34,723

        

 Single, never married

 

25.0

(22.3–27.9)

26.6

(21.6–32.1)

29.5

(26.8–32.4)

16.7

(15.5–18.0)

 Married or living with partner

 

50.5

(47.6–53.4)

67.8

(61.9–73.2)

39.7

(37.1–42.5)

65.9

(64.6–67.1)

 Widowed, divorced, or

separated

 

24.5

(22.4–26.8)

5.7

(3.5–9.0)

30.7

(28.3–33.2)

17.4

(16.7–18.1)

Household size (n)

34,741

3.3

(3.2–3.4)

4.3

(4.2–4.5)

3.6

(3.46–3.78)

2.9

(2.8–2.9)

Health insuranceb

34,620

58.0

(55.3–60.6)

74.6

(69.0–79.4)

67.3

(64.7–70.0)

84.9

(83.9–85.8)

Weight status

34,066

        

 Underweight

 

2.6

(1.9–3.5)

0.9

(0.3–2.5)

2.7

(2.1–3.6)

1.5

(1.3–1.7)

 Normal weight

 

28.5

(26.2–31.0)

22.9

(18.3–28.2)

25.5

(23.5–27.6)

31.2

(30.2–32.2)

 Overweight

 

30.0

(27.7–32.4)

32.2

(26.7–38.3)

27.7

(25.7–29.8)

34.6

(33.6–35.6)

 Obese

 

38.9

(36.4–41.5)

44.0

(38.6–49.7)

44.1

(41.3–46.8)

32.7

(31.6–33.8)

Income-to-poverty ratio

32,247

        

 Less than or equal to 0.50

 

11.3

(9.5–13.3)

19.9

(15.2–25.5)

21.1

(18.9–23.5)

2.3

(1.9–2.7)

 0.51 to 1.00

 

22.0

(19.6–24.6)

30.9

(26.2–36.1)

40.3

(37.0–43.7)

5.1

(4.7–5.6)

 1.01 to 1.30

 

19.9

(17.4–22.5)

13.7

(10.3–18.1)

13.8

(12.5–15.3)

5.4

(4.9–6.0)

  > 1.30

 

46.9

(43.9–50.0)

35.5

(30.0–41.4)

24.7

(21.7–28.1)

87.2

(86.2–88.1)

  1. aDoes not apply to age or household size
  2. bParticipated in health insurance plan at time of survey
  3. Some SNAP participants may have income-to-poverty ratios greater than 1.3 because income test are the primary, but not the only, criterion of program eligibility. For example, Income tests are relaxed if all family members participate in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Additionally, individuals move in and out of SNAP on a monthly basis whereas income data were collected on an annual basis
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Nutrition Journal

ISSN: 1475-2891

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