Volume 20, Number 3 (Summer) 1985
Butler, J. S., James C. Ohls, and Barbara Posner. 1985. "The Effect of the Food Stamp Program on the Nutrient Intake of the Eligible Elderly." Journal of Human Resources 20(3):405-420.
An objective of the Food Stamp Program, recognized in its originating legislation, is to increase the nutrient intake of the poor. Economic theory suggests this might be achieved through income effects and program-related effects. This paper, using data from the Food Stamp Cashout Project, tests the effectiveness of food stamps and direct cash transfers in achieving this goal for a sample of elderly households. Food Stamp Program effects were negligible, and nutrient intake did not increase with income in either program. Controlling for the endogeneity of participation with a selection bias technique did not affect these results.
Butler is Assistant Professor of Economics, Vanderbilt University. Ohls is
a Research Economist at Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. Posner is Director of
Nutrition Research for the Framingham Offspring Heart Study, Boston University.
This study was funded by the Food and Nutrition Service of
the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Opinions expressed are those of the authors
and not necessarily those of the funding agency.
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