Impact of Local Food Prices on the Relationship between Food Stamp Program Participation and Bodyweight Status of Adults in the South

Principal Investigator:

Qi (Harry) Zhang, PhD
Email: qzhang@odu.edu
Phone: 757-683-4259

Co-Investigator:

Zhu (Adam) Chen, PhD
Email: zchen2@bsd.uchicago.edu
Phone: 773-702-5957

Consultant:

Youfa Wang, M.D., PHD
Email: ywang@jhsph.edu
Phone: 410-502-3102

Abstract of Study:
The purpose of the proposed research is to investigate the association between local food prices and body weight of adults who are eligible for the Food Stamp Program (FSP). The Southern States 1 observe the highest regional prevalence of obesity and overweight persons in the United States, while the regional FSP participation rates are above the national average. Some evidence suggests that FSP participation may distort participants' food consumption choices making them prone to obesity. However, the possible impact of local food prices on the body weight of FSP participants has yet to be considered. We use the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and County codes to merge data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth 1979 cohorts (NLSY79) with the Cost of Living Index published by the American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association (ACCRA). Using the merged data, we employ panel econometric models to study the impact of prices of various foods (healthy vs. unhealthy) 2 on the body weight status of adults with low socioeconomic status. Our hypothesis is that local food status. The results of this study could provide implications for policy makers on whether adjustment of the FSP benefits based on local food prices should be considered to alleviate the potential distortion of food consumption.