(P26-020-24) Policy, Systems, and Environmental Strategies to Increase Use of SNAP Benefits at Farmers Markets: A Systematic Review

Monday, July 1, 2024

11:45 AM – 12:45 PM CT

Location: Poster Board 269

Presenting Author(s)

MR

Monzerrath Ramos Gonzalez, BS (she/her/hers)

Student
University of California, Davis
Davis, California, United States

Co-Author(s)

SK

Shannon Klisch, MPH

University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, United States
TL

Thuan Le

University of California, Davis, United States
GH

Gabby Headrick, PhD, MSPH, RDN

George Washington University, United States
JR

Joelle Robinson-Oghogho, PhD

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Cassandra J. Nguyen, PhD (she/her/hers)

Assistant Professor of Cooperative Extension
University of California, Davis
Davis, California, United States

Disclosure(s):

Monzerrath Ramos Gonzalez, BS: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Objectives: Farmers markets (FMs) that accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and offer nutrition incentives are a promising approach for improving accessibility and affordability of high-quality fresh foods. However, studies show that low-income individuals experience barriers to using FMs, such as the perception that SNAP benefits cannot be used there or that they feel unwelcome. The systematic review seeks to answer: What policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) strategies are suggested in the literature to increase use of SNAP benefits at FMs?

Methods: Systematic searches were conducted in PubMed Central and Elsevier Science Direct databases as well as peer-reviewed journal websites. All identified references were screened for inclusion based on whether 1) primary or secondary data were analyzed; 2) data were collected at or about FMs in the U.S.; 3) data pertained to nutrition assistance programming or low-income individuals; 4) data were collected after 1964; 5) results were written in English; and 6) data related to PSE strategies at FMs.

Results: Of 7,742 identified references, 86 publications were included in the final review. The majority of studies (70%) used cross-sectional data collection. Evidence suggested nutrition assistance program marketing, complementary nutrition incentive programs, and referrals for, or education about, FMs at external sites as promising PSE strategies to potentially increase use of FMs among SNAP beneficiaries or other low-income shoppers.

Conclusions: Based on the review, practitioners have access to a list of PSE strategies with associated supporting evidence for their use at FMs. This list of PSE strategies will be integrated into a FM assessment that can be used to support partnerships with FMs to increase the uptake of best practices in FMs to improve their appeal and utility for SNAP beneficiaries and other low-income audiences.

Funding Sources: 2023 Rustici Seed Grant and Healthy Eating Research