BEYOND DIRECT NUTRITION EDUCATION: THE GROWING IMPORTANCE OF POLICY, SYSTEMS, AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE STRATEGIES IN THE USDA’S SNAP-ED PROGRAM
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36004/nier.es.2024.1-06Keywords:
SNAP-Ed, policy, systems, and environmental change strategies, nutrition security, health equity, community engagement, USDA.Abstract
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) in the United States has undergone a significant evolution in recent years, shifting from the singular focus on direct nutrition education to a more comprehensive approach that incorporates policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change strategies. This transformation reflects a growing recognition of the need for a multi-level, multi-sector approach to effectively address the complex issues of food and nutrition insecurity in diverse communities across the nation. The 2025 SNAP-Ed Plan Guidance issued by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) underscores this shift by placing increased emphasis on PSE interventions and community engagement. These new priorities aim to promote nutrition security and health equity on a broader scale, moving beyond individual behavior change to create supportive environments that make healthy choices more accessible and sustainable for SNAP-eligible populations. Successful PSE interventions implemented through SNAP-Ed have demonstrated significant potential for creating lasting, population-level changes in food environments and dietary behaviors. These strategies have shown promise in improving access to healthy foods, enhancing nutrition environments in schools and communities, and fostering collaboration among various stakeholders to address systemic barriers to healthy eating. The authors observe that meaningful community engagement and participation are crucial for ensuring that interventions are culturally appropriate, relevant, and sustainable. As SNAP-Ed continues to evolve, ongoing research and evaluation will be essential to refine PSE strategies and maximize their impact on nutrition security and health equity across diverse populations.
Downloads
References
Balis, L., & Strayer, T. (2019). Evaluating “take the stairs, Wyoming!” through the re-aim framework: challenges and opportunities. Frontiers in Public Health, 7, 368. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00368
Burke, M., Gleason, S., Singh, A., & Wilkin, M. (2022). Policy, systems, and environmental change strategies in the supplemental nutrition assistance program-education (snap-ed). Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 54(4), 320-326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2021.09.008
Caldwell, J., Palimaru, A., Cohen, D., Rizik-Baer, D., Patel, D., & Kuo, T. (2022). Use of population health data and qualitative analysis to guide local planning and implementation of supplemental nutrition assistance program education. American Journal of Health Promotion, 36(5), 834-842. https://doi.org/10.1177/08901171211069128
Cunningham-Sabo, L., Tagtow, A., Mi, S., Engelken, J., Johnston, K., & Herman, D. (2022). Partnerships and community engagement key to policy, systems, and environmental achievements for healthy eating and active living: a systematic mapping review. Preventing Chronic Disease, 19, 210466. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd19.210466
Draper, C., Morrissey, E., & Younginer, N. (2021). Health clinic readiness to implement nutrition supports in partnership with snap-ed. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 53(10), 843-850. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2021.03.008
Eicher-Miller, H., Rivera, R., Sun, H., Maulding, M., & Abbott, A. (2020). Supplemental nutrition assistance program-education improves food security independent of food assistance and program characteristics. Nutrients, 12(9), 2636. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12092636
Elsaesser, M., Weatherspoon, L., Schaefer, L., Crosby, D., & Nanney, M. S. (2022). A systematic review of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) interventions: Implications for nutrition education and policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 54(4), 336-348. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2021.10.012
Fornaro, E., McCrossan, E., Hawes, P., Erdem, E., & McLoughlin, G. (2022). Key determinants to school breakfast program implementation in Philadelphia public schools: implications for the role of snap-ed. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, 987171. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.987171
Francis, L., Patel, A., Hasan, A., Kylander, O., Williams, L., Levin, M., & Sharps, P. (2021). Lessons learned from implementing snap‐ed in a nursing/k‐8 partnership school during the pandemic. Public Health Nursing, 39(3), 673-676. https://doi.org/10.1111/phn.13031
Frankish, C., Kwan, B., Gray, D., Simpson, A., & Jetha, N. (2017). Status report - identifying equity-focused interventions to promote healthy weights. Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada, 37(3), 94-101. https://doi.org/10.24095/hpcdp.37.3.05
Haynes-Maslow, L., Osborne, I., & Pitts, S. (2019). Examining barriers and facilitators to delivering snap-ed direct nutrition education in rural communities. American Journal of Health Promotion, 33(5), 736-744. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890117118821845
Holston, D., Stroope, J., Cater, M., Kendall, M., & Broyles, S. (2020). Implementing policy, systems, and environmental change through community coalitions and extension partnerships to address obesity in rural Louisiana. Preventing Chronic Disease, 17, E18. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd17.190284
Joshi, A., Azuma, A. M., & Feenstra, G. (2019). Do farm-to-school programs make a difference? Findings and future research needs. Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition, 3(2-3), 229-246. https://doi.org/10.1080/19320240802244025
Kuo, T. (2019). Supplemental nutrition assistance program education in Los Angeles County: lessons and observations from the field, 2013-2016. Preventive Medicine Reports, 15, 100929. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2019.100929
Long, M., Leung, C., Cheung, L., Blumenthal, S., & Willett, W. (2012). Public support for policies to improve the nutritional impact of the supplemental nutrition assistance program (snap). Public Health Nutrition, 17(1), 219-224. https://doi.org/10.1017/s136898001200506x
Mayer, V. L., Young, C. R., Cannuscio, C. C., Karpyn, A., Kounaves, S., Strupp, E., McDonough, K., & Shea, J. A. (2019). Perspectives of urban corner store owners and managers on community health problems and solutions. Preventing Chronic Disease, 13, 160172. http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd13.160172
Minkler, M., Estrada, J., Thayer, R., Juachon, L., Wakimoto, P., & Falbe, J. (2018). Bringing healthy retail to urban "food swamps": A case study of CBPR-informed policy and neighborhood change in San Francisco. Journal of Urban Health, 95(6), 850-858. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-018-0234-x
Moore, L., McCormack, L., Meendering, J., Burdette, L., & Stluka, S. (2023). Perspectives from extension staff on building and sustaining community wellness coalitions. Health Promotion Practice, 24(1 suppl), 152S-160S. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248399221143155
Naja-Riese, A., Keller, K. J., Bruno, P., Foerster, S. B., Puma, J., Whetstone, L., & Sugerman, S. (2019). The SNAP-Ed Evaluation Framework: demonstrating the impact of a national framework for obesity prevention in low-income populations. Translational behavioral medicine, 9(5), 970-979. https://doi.org/10.1093/tbm/ibz115
Rivera, R., Dunne, J., Maulding, M., Wang, Q., Savaiano, D., Nickols-Richardson, S., & Eicher-Miller, H. (2017). Exploring the association of urban or rural county status and environmental, nutrition - and lifestyle-related resources with the efficacy of snap-ed (supplemental nutrition assistance program-education) to improve food security. Public Health Nutrition, 21(5), 957-966. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1368980017003391
Rivera, R., Maulding, M., Abbott, A., Craig, B., & Eicher‐Miller, H. (2016). Snap-ed (supplemental nutrition assistance program–education) increases long-term food security among Indiana households with children in a randomized controlled study. Journal of Nutrition, 146(11), 2375-2382. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.116.231373
Rohan, E., Chovnick, G., Rose, J., Townsend, J., Young, M., & Moore, A. (2019). Prioritizing population approaches in cancer prevention and control: results of a case study evaluation of policy, systems, and environmental change. Population Health Management, 22(3), 205-212. https://doi.org/10.1089/pop.2018.0081
Sa'aid, H., Mathew, S., Richardson, M., Bielecki, J., & Sander, B. (2020). Mapping the evidence on health equity considerations in economic evaluations of health interventions: a scoping review protocol. Systematic Reviews, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-019-1257-4
Sirdenis, T., Harper, G., Carrillo, M., Jadwin-Cakmak, L., Loveluck, J., Pingel, E., & Bauermeister, J. (2019). Toward sexual health equity for gay, bisexual, and transgender youth: an intergenerational, collaborative, multisector partnerships approach to structural change. Health Education & Behavior, 46(1_suppl), 88S-99S. https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198119853607
Slagel, N., Newman, T., Sanville, L., Dallas, J., Cotto-Rivera, E., Moore, J., & Lee, J. (2022). Effects of a fruit and vegetable prescription program with expanded education for low-income adults. Health Education & Behavior, 49(5), 849-860. https://doi.org/10.1177/10901981221091926
Sreedhara, M., Goulding, M., Goins, K., Frisard, C., & Lemon, S. (2020). Healthy eating and physical activity policy, systems, and environmental strategies: a content analysis of community health improvement plans. Frontiers in Public Health, 8, 580175. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.580175
Stluka, S., McCormack, L. A., Burdette, L., Dvorak, Knight, N., Lindvall, R., Pierce, L., Schoch, J., Walkling, P. (2019). Gardening for health: Using Garden coordinators and volunteers to implement rural school and community gardens. Preventing Chronic Disease, 16, E156. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd16.190117
Tompkins, N., Wright J., Giacobbi, P., Alelaiwat, B., Vance, J., Gregory, M., Bromley, C., & Ross, M. (2021). Maximizing the potential of mini grants to promote policy, systems, and environmental changes: outcomes and challenges. Health Promotion Practice, 23(3), 445-452. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248399211039788
Troutman, B., Moran, T., Arndt, S., Johnson, R., & Chmielewski, M. (2012). Development of parenting self‐efficacy in mothers of infants with high negative emotionality. Infant Mental Health Journal, 33(1), 45-54. https://doi.org/10.1002/imhj.20332
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). (2024). SNAP-Ed Plan Guidance for Fiscal Year 2025. https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/SNAP-Ed%20Plan%20Guidance%20FY%202025.pdf
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). (2022). Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed). https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/SNAP-Ed
Ulmer, V. M., Rathert, A. R., & Rose, D. (2012). Understanding policy enactment: The New Orleans Fresh Food Retailer Initiative. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 43(3), S116-S122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2012.05.011
Vance, A., Pan, W., Malcolm, W., & Brandon, D. (2020). Development of parenting self-efficacy in mothers of high-risk infants. Early Human Development, 141, 104946. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2019.104946
Ventura, A., & Whaley, S. (2022). Strategies to promote responsive bottle‐feeding in wic predict less frequent use of food to soothe and healthier weight status for infants with negative temperaments. Pediatric Obesity, 17(8), e12908. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijpo.12908
Ventura, A., Garcia, K., Meza, M., Rodriguez, E., Martinez, C., & Whaley, S. (2022). Promoting responsive bottle-feeding within wic: evaluation of a policy, systems, and environmental change approach. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 122(1), 99-109.e2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2021.05.003
Washburn, L., Norman-Burgdolf, H., Jones, N., Kennedy, L., & Jarvandi, S. (2022). Exploring extension agent capacity and readiness to adopt policy, systems and environmental change approaches. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, 26 May. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.856788
Wippold, G., Tucker, C., Kroska, E., & Hanvey, G. (2021). Perceived socioeconomic status and health-related quality of life (hqol) among urban adults: evaluating the protective value of resilience. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 91(1), 20-26. https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000514
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
