The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between selected economic, social, and institutional variables and participation in the Food Stamp Program by elderly households. Data reported by elderly households (i.e., having one member aged 60 or over) were drawn from data collected in the states of California and Virginia for the North Central Regional Project NC-152. Interviewers collected data by conducting personal interviews with households between July, 1979 and May, 1980. Of the 150 elderly households, 59 had participated in the Food Stamp Program at some time in the 12 months preceding the interview and 91 were eligible for the program at the time of the interview but had not participated. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the data. The overall significance of the regression of participation in the Food Stamp Program on the linear combination of predictors was found to be statistically significant at the .05 level. The hypothesized relationships supported by the results were: (1) households receiving Supplemental Security Income are more likely tc participate than households net receiving SSI; (2) single person households are less likely to participate than households with more than one member; (3) households with a head aged 65 or over are less likely to participate than households with a head aged 59 or under; (4) households that have heard about the Food Stamp Program from a welfare worker are more likely to participate than households that have not beard about the Program from a welfare worker. / Master of Science

This study was conducted to examine the food perceptions, purchasing, preparation, and consumption behaviors of female SNAP participants in East Central Indiana. Twenty participants were interviewed, and interviews were transcribed and compiled in order to identify patterns. Participants were primarily white, had at least a high school education, were food-secure, and 85% were either overweight or obese. Results indicated that the participants interviewed in this study had limited opportunities to participate in food and nutrition education courses unless approached by community agencies. Participants indicated they purchased a large variety of healthy and unhealthy food items from a wide array of grocers. A portion of the participants participated in EFNEP courses (n=4), WIC education (n=7), or conducted self-research (n=9). These participants indicated they retained knowledge by participating in these methods of education. Although participants expressed the desire to exhibit healthy eating behaviors, such as examining food labels, they also indicated they did not understand how to utilize the information to make healthy food choices. Results indicated all participants in SNAP would benefit from food and nutrition education courses that focus on SNAP benefit budgeting, meal planning that includes more fruits and vegetables, low-fat food items, and leaner cuts of meat, and physical activity. Practitioners and SNAP officials should be encouraged to coordinate efforts to make participants aware of educational opportunities in order to improve overall health outcomes. / Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the literature focused on the increased utilization of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by low-income workers attempting to become food secure. Poverty measurement will be discussed for its importance to accurately identify individuals and families who are still excluded of social services and programs due to a faulty measurement of poverty. Furthermore, this paper will identify how the limitations of the current minimum wage system in the United States contributes to food insecurity within the population of low-income workers. A concise history of the creation of the SNAP program and the current minimum wage system will be provided. Identifying the increased utilization of the SNAP program, how this intersects with the current minimum wage system and increased food insecurity, will help identify potential areas for advocacy within social work practice and potential areas for policy change

Text in Afrikaans / Social security is an important instrument of government to reduce the risks of economic insecurity to indivi~uals and the community. Social security usually consists of social insurance (for example pensions, unemployment insurance and workmen's compensation) and social assistance (for example social pensions, disability grants and maintenance grants). In view of South Africa's low economic growth, high and rising unemployment, widespread poverty, skew distribution of income and the disintegration of the family, social security requires urgent attention. This issue is even more pressing during the political transition since most policy measures and institutions are reconsidered, while pressure on government expenditure increases. This study commences with a discussion of basic aspects of social security, such as its definition, the rationale for social security in a market economy, the possible influence on economic behaviour, targeting, the financing of social security through a payroll tax and general taxation and the financing of a national pension fund. One of the sources of information of social security is the experience of other countries in this regard. The second part, which constitutes the core of the study, involves a comparative study of social security. After a general discussion on comparative studies, the origin and development of social security in welfare states (the USA, Britain and the Netherlands) and developing countries (Chile, Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba and Sri Lanka) are studied. African countries and the "miracle" countries of the East also receive brief attention. The main emphasis is on equity and efficiency, and aspects such as affordability, financing, targeting, the extension of coverage, a negative income tax, traditional social security and specific programmes that could be of importance to South Africa. In the last section the origin and development of and the fiscal scope for social security are discussed. Besides social insurance and assistance, programmes such as in-kind transfers, public works programmes and tax expenditure receive attention. Aspects of social security such as poverty alleviation, means testing, take-up rates, administration and corruption are discussed, while recommendations are made on topics such as a "voluntarily" national pension scheme, employment creation programmes and food stamps. / Bestaansbeveiliging is 'n belangrike instrument in die hande van die owerheid om die risiko' s van ekonomiese onsekerheid vir individue en die gemeenskap te verminder. Bestaansbeveiliging bestaan gewoonlik uit maatskaplike versekering (waaronder pensioene, werkloosheidsversekering en ongevalleversekering) en maatskaplike bystand (byvoorbeeld maatskaplike pensioene, ongeskiktheidstoelaes en onderhoudstoelaes). In die lig van Suid-Afrika se lae ekonomiese groei, hoe en stygende werkloosheid, wydverspreide armoede, skewe verdeling van inkome en gesinsverbrokkeling, verg bestaansbeveiliging dringende aandag. Die aangeleentheid is des te dringender gedurende die politieke oorgangsperiode waartydens die meeste beleidsmaatreels en instellings in heroorweging geneem word en daar voortdurend druk op die owerheid is om meer van die land se skaars bronne te gebruik. Ter inleiding word enkele kemaspekte van bestaansbeveiliging bespreek, waaronder die definisie daarvan, die rasionaal vir bestaansbeveiliging in 'n markekonomie, die moontlike invloed van bestaansbeveiliging op ekonomiese gedrag, die rol van teikenstelling, die finansiering van bestaansbeveiliging deur middel van 'n loonstaatbelasting en algemene belastings en die finansiering van 'n nasionale pensioenfonds. Een bron van inligting oar bestaansbeveiliging is die ervaring van ander lande op hierdie terrein. Die tweede gedeelte, wat die kern van die studie is, behels 'n vergelykende studie van bestaansbeveiliging. Na 'n inleidende bespreking oar vergelykende studies in die algemeen, word die ontstaan en ontwikkeling van bestaansbeveiliging in welvaartstate (die VSA, Brittanje en Nederland) en in ontwikkelende lande (Chili, Mexiko, Guatemala, Kuba en Sri Lanka) bestudeer. Afrikalande en die "mirakel-lande" van die Coste kry oorsigtelik aandag. Die nadruk in die gedeelte val veral op billikheid en doeltreffendheid en aspekte soos bekostigbaarheid, finansiering, teikenstelling, uitbreiding van dekking, negatiewe inkomstebelasting, tradisionele bestaansbeveiliging en programme wat vir Suid-Afrika van betekenis kan wees. In die laaste gedeelte word die ontstaan en ontwikkeling van en die fiskale ruimte vir bestaansbeveiliging in Suid-Afrika bespreek. Benewens maatskaplike versekering en bystand, kry programme soos in natura oordragte, openbare werke-programme (werkskeppingsprogramme) en belastinguitgawes aandag. Aspekte van bestaansbeveiliging soos armoedeverligting, die middeletoets, opneemkoerse, administrasie en korrupsie word bespreek en aanbevelings word onder me er gemaak ten opsigte van 'n "vrywillige" nasionale pensioenskema, werkskeppingsprogramme en voedselkoepons. / Sociology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Ekonomie)

Text in Afrikaans / Social security is an important instrument of government to reduce the risks of economic insecurity to indivi~uals and the community. Social security usually consists of social insurance (for example pensions, unemployment insurance and workmen's compensation) and social assistance (for example social pensions, disability grants and maintenance grants). In view of South Africa's low economic growth, high and rising unemployment, widespread poverty, skew distribution of income and the disintegration of the family, social security requires urgent attention. This issue is even more pressing during the political transition since most policy measures and institutions are reconsidered, while pressure on government expenditure increases. This study commences with a discussion of basic aspects of social security, such as its definition, the rationale for social security in a market economy, the possible influence on economic behaviour, targeting, the financing of social security through a payroll tax and general taxation and the financing of a national pension fund. One of the sources of information of social security is the experience of other countries in this regard. The second part, which constitutes the core of the study, involves a comparative study of social security. After a general discussion on comparative studies, the origin and development of social security in welfare states (the USA, Britain and the Netherlands) and developing countries (Chile, Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba and Sri Lanka) are studied. African countries and the "miracle" countries of the East also receive brief attention. The main emphasis is on equity and efficiency, and aspects such as affordability, financing, targeting, the extension of coverage, a negative income tax, traditional social security and specific programmes that could be of importance to South Africa. In the last section the origin and development of and the fiscal scope for social security are discussed. Besides social insurance and assistance, programmes such as in-kind transfers, public works programmes and tax expenditure receive attention. Aspects of social security such as poverty alleviation, means testing, take-up rates, administration and corruption are discussed, while recommendations are made on topics such as a "voluntarily" national pension scheme, employment creation programmes and food stamps. / Bestaansbeveiliging is 'n belangrike instrument in die hande van die owerheid om die risiko' s van ekonomiese onsekerheid vir individue en die gemeenskap te verminder. Bestaansbeveiliging bestaan gewoonlik uit maatskaplike versekering (waaronder pensioene, werkloosheidsversekering en ongevalleversekering) en maatskaplike bystand (byvoorbeeld maatskaplike pensioene, ongeskiktheidstoelaes en onderhoudstoelaes). In die lig van Suid-Afrika se lae ekonomiese groei, hoe en stygende werkloosheid, wydverspreide armoede, skewe verdeling van inkome en gesinsverbrokkeling, verg bestaansbeveiliging dringende aandag. Die aangeleentheid is des te dringender gedurende die politieke oorgangsperiode waartydens die meeste beleidsmaatreels en instellings in heroorweging geneem word en daar voortdurend druk op die owerheid is om meer van die land se skaars bronne te gebruik. Ter inleiding word enkele kemaspekte van bestaansbeveiliging bespreek, waaronder die definisie daarvan, die rasionaal vir bestaansbeveiliging in 'n markekonomie, die moontlike invloed van bestaansbeveiliging op ekonomiese gedrag, die rol van teikenstelling, die finansiering van bestaansbeveiliging deur middel van 'n loonstaatbelasting en algemene belastings en die finansiering van 'n nasionale pensioenfonds. Een bron van inligting oar bestaansbeveiliging is die ervaring van ander lande op hierdie terrein. Die tweede gedeelte, wat die kern van die studie is, behels 'n vergelykende studie van bestaansbeveiliging. Na 'n inleidende bespreking oar vergelykende studies in die algemeen, word die ontstaan en ontwikkeling van bestaansbeveiliging in welvaartstate (die VSA, Brittanje en Nederland) en in ontwikkelende lande (Chili, Mexiko, Guatemala, Kuba en Sri Lanka) bestudeer. Afrikalande en die "mirakel-lande" van die Coste kry oorsigtelik aandag. Die nadruk in die gedeelte val veral op billikheid en doeltreffendheid en aspekte soos bekostigbaarheid, finansiering, teikenstelling, uitbreiding van dekking, negatiewe inkomstebelasting, tradisionele bestaansbeveiliging en programme wat vir Suid-Afrika van betekenis kan wees. In die laaste gedeelte word die ontstaan en ontwikkeling van en die fiskale ruimte vir bestaansbeveiliging in Suid-Afrika bespreek. Benewens maatskaplike versekering en bystand, kry programme soos in natura oordragte, openbare werke-programme (werkskeppingsprogramme) en belastinguitgawes aandag. Aspekte van bestaansbeveiliging soos armoedeverligting, die middeletoets, opneemkoerse, administrasie en korrupsie word bespreek en aanbevelings word onder me er gemaak ten opsigte van 'n "vrywillige" nasionale pensioenskema, werkskeppingsprogramme en voedselkoepons. / Sociology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Ekonomie)

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No description available.

The purpose of this study was to explore the incentives and barriers perceived by low-income women of child-bearing age related to their participation in nutrition education programs. The specific programs of concern in this study are the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) and the Food Stamp Nutrition Education (FSNE) program. This qualitative study sought to hear the voices of the women so that nutrition programs can be made more successful in reaching this population. Personal interviews were conducted with 23 women in their homes or appropriate local sites, and transcripts were analyzed to identify categories and themes. People of low socioeconomic status and those with the least education have higher rates of obesity and overweight and suffer disproportionately from poor health. Women receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) also receive Medicaid. Medicaid costs have escalated due to the obesity rate, which is currently estimated at 64% of the adult population. In addition, 30% of American children are experiencing obesity or are overweight. It is important for parents to understand the causes of obesity and the effects of the chronic diseases related to obesity. Prevention programs are more cost effective than medical treatment of the diseases associated with obesity, and proper nutrition can reduce the incidence of chronic diseases. Findings of this study suggest that isolation is the main impediment to participating in nutrition education programs. Missing from the interviewed women's circumstances are social capital, human capital, and economic capital. Social capital relates to the connections and relationships that are important in life. Human capital involves the knowledge and skills acquired through life experiences. Economic capital refers to individual wealth or economic resources available to an individual or community. Nutrition education programs should be refined to incorporate opportunities for socialization that will develop trust and reciprocity, as well as nutrition knowledge. Based on the results of this study, Virginia Cooperative Extension programs will be adapted to incorporate weight control and cooking classes with nutritious recipes. The learning environment will be safe, learner-centered, and fun. New marketing tools that are more appealing to the prospective clients will be developed. / Ed. D.