Food, health, and nutrient supplements: beliefs among food stamp-eligible women and implications for food stamp policy

Family Economics and Nutrition Review, Spring, 2002 by Vivica Kraak, David L. Pelletier, Jamie Dollahite

* It is feasible to use food stamp benefits for supplements if recipient makes wise budgeting decisions.

* Supplement use would depend on the person or family situation.

* Supplement use could set a good example for children and might stimulate other healthful habits such as buying more healthful foods.

* It is easier to take a pill than to eat healthful food.

* Food stamp recipients need to be convinced of the benefit of taking a multivitamin and mineral pill regularly.

A few food stamp recipients suggested that the government offer a special coupon to families each month that could be used to purchase a designated supplement--similar to providing specific WIC commodities--but if recipients did not use the coupon, they would lose the benefit.

Perceived Drawbacks to Using Food Stamps to Purchase Nutrient Supplements

Several participants shared some possible drawbacks to allowing food stamp recipients to use their benefits to purchase supplements. They believed recipients might purchase supplements but not take them, might not give their children adequate food if household resources were spent on a supplement, might not be able to absorb the nutrients from a pill or may be allergic to the supplement, or might abuse the FSP by selling food stamp benefits or nutrient supplements for cash. They also thought that allowing recipients to purchase supplements might reinforce the perception that food is not needed if vitamins are substituted and that taking too many or high doses of supplements may be harmful.

Decisionmaking About the Use of Food Stamps

Participants were asked their opinion regarding who should decide how food stamps are used--either the government or recipients. Three themes emerged: they believed food stamp recipients should decide, the government should decide, or the government and people should work together to decide. More than half of the food stamp recipients indicated that the people rather than the government should decide how food stamps are used. Many acknowledged, however, that the government's position would be more heavily weighted because it provides the benefits.

Discussion

The FSP-supplement proposal, far from being a simple policy change, brings two relatively new concerns to the foreground with respect to the goals of the FSP: (1) Should the goals of the FSP be broadened to include health promotion beyond that associated with achieving equity in food intake? A related question is whether the supplement proposal is an appropriate strategy for doing so. (2) Given the high prevalence of supplement use in the general population, should food stamp recipients have the same level of choice as the general population regarding how they obtain their nutrients (i.e., via foods or supplements)? A related question is whether the current FSP policy constrains such choice. This latter question reveals a concern for consumer autonomy as distinct from equity or health promotion. Autonomy has not been one of the stated goals of the FSP; for example, current regulations do not permit the use of food stamps to purchase prepared food away from home.