Swarn Chatterjee, an associate professor of financial planning, housing and consumer economics in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, received $10,500 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to determine the effects of health on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participation among low-income, low-asset families living in the southeastern U.S.
Chatterjee and his colleagues are investigating how adverse changes in individuals’ health conditions, as well as changes in their out-of-pocket medical expenditures, have affected SNAP participation, and whether such influences have been associated with low asset holdings and the inability to borrow.
The knowledge gained should lead to more effective interventions and informed policy decisions for low-income households, including food, health insurance and asset building programs.