abstract: 'Objective

  The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides

  nutritional assistance for United States residents with low income.

  Current SNAP policy discussion focuses on its work requirement: the Able

  Bodied Adults without Dependents (ABAWDs) time limit. This study sets

  out to analyze the effects the work requirement has on ABAWDs'' health

  and employment status.

  Methods

  States can apply a waiver on the ABAWD work requirement if they can

  establish a labor surplus. Many states had this waiver expired due to

  economic recovery after the 2008 economic crisis. This study took

  advantage of a recent natural experiment created by states''

  differentiated timelines in phasing out the three-month waiver and

  applies a triple-differences approach to study the effects of the SNAP

  work requirement, using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor

  Surveillance System, 2015-2016.

  Results

  SNAP-eligible individuals, including ABAWDS, had more serious physical

  and mental health conditions compared with higher income individuals.

  Losing SNAP eligibility increased the incidence of experiencing

  physically unhealthy days by 14\% (p < 0.05) but caused no significant

  change in employment status.

  Conclusions

  The ABAWD time limit on SNAP may have negative consequences when there

  are insufficient opportunities for employment or positions in

  governmental Employ and Training programs. More studies are needed to

  better understand the reason for high SNAP participation even when the

  unemployment rate suggested a strong economy in 2015-2016.

  Decision-makers should be cautious in removing SNAP eligibility for

  ABAWDs or states'' time-limit waivers.'
affiliation: 'Feng, WH (Corresponding Author), Tufts Univ, Sch Med, Dept Publ Hlth
  \& Community Med, 136 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA 02111 USA.

  Feng, Wenhui, Tufts Univ, Sch Med, Dept Publ Hlth \& Community Med, 136 Harrison
  Ave, Boston, MA 02111 USA.'
author: Feng, Wenhui
author-email: wenhui.feng@tufts.edu
author_list:
- family: Feng
  given: Wenhui
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1080/07315724.2021.1879692
earlyaccessdate: JAN 2021
eissn: 2769-707X
files: []
issn: 2769-7061
journal: JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN NUTRITION ASSOCIATION
keywords: SNAP; work requirements; ABAWDs
language: English
month: APR 3
number: '3'
number-of-cited-references: '34'
orcid-numbers: Feng, Wenhui/0000-0003-0053-8559
pages: 281-290
papis_id: db2bde4ce4db868b387a302cdfb7a018
ref: Feng2022effectschanging
times-cited: '4'
title: The Effects of Changing SNAP Work Requirement on the Health and Employment
  Outcomes of Able-Bodied Adults without Dependents
type: article
unique-id: WOS:000620514800001
usage-count-last-180-days: '0'
usage-count-since-2013: '5'
volume: '41'
web-of-science-categories: Nutrition \& Dietetics
year: '2022'