# BMI Was Maintained Among Women with Low Incomes in Indiana Who Participated in Food Assistance and/or Federal Nutrition Education Over 1 Year

## TL;DR

A study found that low-income women in Indiana who participated in food assistance and/or nutrition education programs did not experience weight gain over one year.

## Contribution

This study explores the long-term BMI outcomes of combining food assistance and nutrition education programs among low-income women.

## Key findings

- BMI did not change significantly over one year for participants in food assistance, nutrition education, or both.
- Weight remained stable regardless of program participation, suggesting no weight gain from these interventions.
- Over 60% of participants were classified as obese at both baseline and follow-up.

## Abstract

Longer-term (≥1 y) associations between federal food assistance and federal nutrition education with BMI are unclear.

This exploratory study determined the relationship of participation in a federal nutrition education intervention and self-selected food assistance program participation, and their combination on BMI for ≥1 y.

Women (≥18 y) from Indiana, the United States were experimentally assigned to receive federal nutrition education of the United States (US) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) program, including the 4 lessons fulfilling SNAP-Ed guidance (n = 59) or not (n = 47), or to a control group, in this longitudinal study from August 2015 till May 2017 (registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03436784). Food assistance participation was self-selected. Main outcomes were averaged triplicate measured height and weight for BMI at baseline and 1-y by trained paraprofessionals. Analysis included mixed linear models comparing BMI over time by participation in the intervention or not, food assistance or not, or combinations of both programs.

Obesity was classified for most participants (>60%) at both time points. BMI did not differ, nor were differences observed in BMI change >1 y based on receiving SNAP-Ed, food assistance programs, or their combination.

Weight was constant >1 y regardless of receiving federal nutrition education, food assistance programs, or their combination, suggesting neither these programs nor their combination cause weight gain among low-income US women in this preliminary study of these interventions among this sample.