Does the receipt of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits predicted greater consumption of soda in a public health clinic population?

Introduction: Several studies have examined the link between receipt of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and increased obesity.  Since obesity has been linked to excess consumption of sugary drinks, we examined the relationship between receipt of benefits and the consumption of soda in a public health clinic population.

Methods: In 2012, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health conducted a local health and nutrition examination survey asking participants if they had consumed non-diet soda in the last seven days and if they received SNAP electronic benefits transfer. Those who reported receipt of benefits were asked how often they use program dollars to purchase soda. Descriptive statistics were generated and two multivariable logistic regressions were performed to assess the association between SNAP status and soda consumption.

Results: The survey response rate was 69%. Overall, 35.6% of survey participants reported receiving or living in a household where someone receives nutrition assistance benefits. When asked if nutrition assistance benefits were used to purchase soda, 33% of participants reported using them ‘sometimes’; and 17% reported ‘often’ or ‘always.’ Receipt of benefits did not predict greater consumption of soda after controlling for covariates (any versus none: n=1,315, adjusted odds ratio=0.84, 95% confidence interval=0.65-1.10; >1/day versus <1/day: n=1,315, adjusted odds ratio=1.30, 95% confidence interval=1.00-1.69).

Discussion: Results indicated that receipt of benefits did not significantly predict greater consumption of soda. However, the sample size may be insufficient to fully characterize this relationship by various levels of soda consumption (e.g., > 1/day versus < 1/day).