Does Participation in Food Benefit Programs Reduce the Risk for Depressive Symptoms?
Harry Adynski, Todd A Schwartz, Hudson P Santos
PMID 33393431WHAT IT FOUND
Participation in SNAP or WIC food benefits did not reduce the risk of depressive symptoms.
In fact, SNAP participation was associated with higher odds of depression in one cohort. Severe food insecurity, however, remained a strong predictor of depressive symptoms.
Key findings
01SNAP participation was associated with increased odds of depressive symptoms in the 2015-2016 cohort, but not in the 2013-2014 cohort.
02WIC participation was not significantly associated with depressive symptoms in either cohort.
03Very low food security was consistently associated with increased odds of experiencing depressive symptoms, even after controlling for sociodemographic factors.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot establish causality between food benefits and depression. Food benefit participation and food security were assessed via self-report, which may be subject to recall bias. The study did not measure the perception of or satisfaction with food benefit programs, which the authors suggest may be a moderating factor.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. The study did not receive external funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that SNAP causes depression. The association found in one cohort may reflect reverse causality (people with depression are more likely to experience food insecurity and thus qualify for SNAP) or unmeasured confounding, as the study design cannot prove direction.