Dataset Information

Canada's northern food subsidy Nutrition North Canada: a comprehensive program evaluation.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Nutrition North Canada (NNC) is a retail subsidy program implemented in 2012 and designed to reduce the cost of nutritious food for residents living in Canada's remote, northern communities. The present study evaluates the extent to which NNC provides access to perishable, nutritious food for residents of remote northern communities.

Design

Program documents, including fiscal and food cost reports for the period 2011-2015, retailer compliance reports, audits of the program, and the program's performance measurement strategy are examined for evidence that the subsidy is meeting its objectives in a manner both comprehensive and equitable across regions and communities.

Results

NNC lacks price caps or other means of ensuring food is affordable and equitably priced in communities. Gaps in food cost reporting constrain the program's accountability. From 2011-15, no adjustments were made to community eligibility, subsidy rates, or the list of eligible foods in response to information provided by community members, critics, the Auditor General of Canada, and the program's own Advisory Board. Measures to increase program accountability, such as increasing subsidy information on point-of-sale receipts, make NNC more visible but do nothing to address underlying accountability issues Conclusions: The current structure and regulatory framework of NNC are insufficient to ensure the program meets its goal. Both the volume and cost of nutritious food delivered to communities is highly variable and dependent on factors such as retailers' pricing practices, over which the program has no control. It may be necessary to consider alternative forms of policy in order to produce sustainable improvements to food security in remote, northern communities.

SUBMITTER: Galloway T

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5328347 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Canada's northern food subsidy Nutrition North Canada: a comprehensive program evaluation.

Galloway Tracey T

International journal of circumpolar health 20170101 1

<h4>Background</h4>Nutrition North Canada (NNC) is a retail subsidy program implemented in 2012 and designed to reduce the cost of nutritious food for residents living in Canada's remote, northern communities. The present study evaluates the extent to which NNC provides access to perishable, nutritious food for residents of remote northern communities.<h4>Design</h4>Program documents, including fiscal and food cost reports for the period 2011-2015, retailer compliance reports, audits of the prog ...[more]

PMID: 28151097

Similar Datasets

Project description:IntroductionThe Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) required major revisions to food packages in 2009; effects on nationwide low-income household purchases remain unexamined.MethodsThis study examines associations between WIC revisions and nutritional profiles of packaged food purchases from 2008 to 2014 among 4,537 low-income households with preschoolers in the U.S. (WIC participating versus nonparticipating) utilizing Nielsen Homescan Consumer Panel data. Overall nutrients purchased (e.g., calories, sugar, fat), amounts of select food groups with nutritional attributes that are encouraged (e.g., whole grains, fruits and vegetables) or discouraged (e.g., sugar-sweetened beverages, candy) consistent with dietary guidance, composition of purchases by degree of processing (less, moderate, or high), and convenience (requires preparation, ready to heat, or ready to eat) were measured. Data analysis was performed in 2016. Longitudinal random-effects model adjusted outcomes controlling for household composition, education, race/ethnicity of the head of the household, county quarterly unemployment rates, and seasonality are presented.ResultsAmong WIC households, significant decreases in purchases of calories (-11%), sodium (-12%), total fat (-10%), and sugar (-15%) occurred, alongside decreases in purchases of refined grains, grain-based desserts, higher-fat milks, and sugar-sweetened beverages, and increases in purchases of fruits/vegetables with no added sugar/fats/salt. Income-eligible nonparticipating households had similar, but less pronounced, reductions. Changes were gradual and increased over time.ConclusionsWIC food package revisions appear associated with improved nutritional profiles of food purchases among WIC participating households compared with low-income nonparticipating households. These package revisions may encourage WIC families to make healthier choices among their overall packaged food purchases.

Project description:ImportanceFood insecurity is associated with a less healthy diet. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is associated with reduced food insecurity, but benefit levels may be insufficient for beneficiaries to afford healthy foods.ObjectiveTo evaluate whether participation in SuperSNAP, a program that provides an additional $40 per month for the purchase of fruits and vegetables with no added sugar, sodium, or fat to SNAP beneficiaries, is associated with changes in food purchasing.Design, setting, and participantsThis longitudinal cohort study used data from transaction records of a large supermarket chain with approximately 500 stores located across North Carolina from October 2019 to April 2020. Participants were SNAP beneficiaries.ExposureSuperSNAP participation.Main outcomes and measuresMonthly spending on all fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts (primary outcome); spending on less healthy food categories; and spending on sugar-sweetened beverages as 1 category of less healthy foods. Monthly data on purchases by SNAP beneficiaries before and during SuperSNAP participation were compared with data from SNAP beneficiaries not enrolled in the program who shopped at the same stores. Overlap weighting (a propensity score-based method) was used to account for confounding, and linear mixed-effects models were fitted with random effects to account for repeated measures and clustering by store.ResultsThe study included 667 SuperSNAP participants and 33 246 SNAP beneficiaries who did not use SuperSNAP but shopped in the same stores; 436 SuperSNAP participants had preintervention data and were included in the main analysis. SuperSNAP participation was associated with increased monthly purchases of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes ($31.84; 95% CI, $31.27-$32.42; P < .001; 294.52 oz; 95% CI, 288.84-300.20 oz; P < .001). Only a small increase in spending on less healthy food categories compared with the SNAP beneficiaries who did not use SuperSNAP ($1.60; 95% CI, $0.67-$2.53; P < .001) was observed. As total spending increased, the proportion of total food and beverage spending on less healthy foods significantly decreased (difference, 4.51%; 95% CI, 4.27%-4.74%; P < .001). Monthly spending on sugar-sweetened beverages decreased (difference, $1.83; 95% CI, $1.30-$2.36; P < .001).Conclusions and relevanceIn this cohort study, participation in SuperSNAP was associated with meaningful increases in healthy food purchasing. Subsequent studies should investigate whether healthy food incentive programs improve health outcomes.

Project description:ObjectiveTo investigate the relationships between fish/seafood consumption patterns and food security status among First Nations (FN) communities in Canada. We estimated the contribution of fish/seafood to daily nutrient requirements. Barriers to traditional food (TF) access including fish were summarized.MethodsData were collected by the First Nations Food, Nutrition and Environment Study (2008-2018). The sample of this participatory study comprised 6258 randomly selected FN adults. Fish/seafood consumption was estimated with a food frequency questionnaire. Food security status was assessed with the Household Food Security Survey Module. The contribution of fish/seafood to protein, n-3 fatty acid, vitamin (A, B12, D, niacin) and mineral (selenium, zinc) requirements was assessed by comparison to Dietary Reference Intakes.ResultsRegional differences were observed in fish/seafood consumption patterns and their relationship with food security status. In the eastern regions (Ontario, Quebec/Labrador and the Atlantic region), consumption of fish/seafood and other TF was significantly higher among food insecure compared with food secure FN participants. Severely food insecure men (particularly in British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec/Labrador and the Atlantic region) tended to eat a higher amount of TF, including fish/seafood, compared with food secure and moderately food insecure men, while no difference was observed in women. Fish/seafood provided good sources of selected nutrients. However, the high cost of harvesting equipment, industry-related activities and climate change reduce access to fish/seafood and other wildlife.ConclusionFish/seafood continues to be vital to the diet of FN communities. Focusing on policies that support FN increased access to fish/seafood has the potential to decrease food insecurity and support sustainable livelihoods. Future policies should focus on socio-economic determinants of food insecurity and support traditional harvesting and sustainable fisheries among FN communities.

Project description:ImportanceRacially minoritized people experience disproportionately high rates of food insecurity. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) reduces food insecurity.ObjectiveTo evaluate SNAP access with regard to racial disparities in food insecurity.Design, setting, and participantsThis cross-sectional study used data from the 2018 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). On the basis of random sampling strategies, 44 870 households were eligible for the SIPP, and 26 215 (58.4%) participated. Sampling weights accounted for survey design and nonresponse. Data were analyzed from February 25 to December 12, 2022.ExposuresThis study examined disparities based on household racial composition (entirely Asian, entirely Black, entirely White, and multiple races or multirace based on SIPP categories).Main outcomes and measuresFood insecurity during the prior year was measured using the validated 6-item US Department of Agriculture Food Security Survey Module. SNAP participation during the prior year was classified based on whether anyone in the household received SNAP benefits. Modified Poisson regression tested hypothesized disparities in food insecurity.ResultsA total of 4974 households that were eligible for SNAP (income ≤130% of the poverty threshold) were included in this study. A total of 218 households (5%) were entirely Asian, 1014 (22%) were entirely Black, 3313 (65%) were entirely White, and 429 (8%) were multiracial or of other racial groups. Adjusting for household characteristics, households that were entirely Black (prevalence rate [PR], 1.18; 95% CI, 1.04-1.33) or multiracial (PR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.06-1.46) were more likely to be food insecure than entirely White households, but associations differed depending on SNAP participation. Among households that did not participate in SNAP, those that were entirely Black (PR, 1.52; 97.5% CI, 1.20-1.93) or multiracial (PR, 1.42; 97.5% CI, 1.04-1.94) were more likely to be food insecure than White households; however, among SNAP participants, Black households were less likely than White households to be food insecure (PR, 0.84; 97.5% CI, 0.71-0.99).Conclusions and relevanceIn this cross-sectional study, racial disparities in food insecurity were found among low-income households that do not participate in SNAP but not among those that do, suggesting that access to SNAP should be improved. These results also highlight the need to examine the structural and systemic racism in food systems and in access to food assistance that may contribute to disparities.

Dataset Information

Canada's northern food subsidy Nutrition North Canada: a comprehensive program evaluation.

Background

Design

Results

Publications

Canada's northern food subsidy Nutrition North Canada: a comprehensive program evaluation.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets