ArticlePloS one2021
Prevalence and nutritional quality of free food and beverage acquisitions at school and work by SNAP status.
Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Effectiveness of Nutritional Strategies on Improving the Quality of Diet of Children from 6 to 12 Years Old: A Systematic Review.Nutrients · 2022Pooled it
- Associations between Food Insecurity and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation with ultra-processed food intake in lower-income U.S. adolescents.Journal of nutritional science · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe dual burden of poor diet quality and food insecurity makes free food-food acquired at no cost-a very important part of the nutrition safety net for low-income families. The goal of this study was to determine the national prevalence and nutritional quality of free food acquired separately in two settings: 1) by children at school; and 2) by employees at work; both stratified by participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
methodsUsing National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey data (2012; n = 4,826 U.S. households containing 5,382 employed adults and 3,338 school-aged children), we used survey-weighted proportions to describe free food acquisition and linear regression to compare the 2010 Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2010) for free/non-free food acquisition events (i.e., meals) by SNAP status. Analyses were conducted in 2019-2020.
resultsSNAP households had more free acquisition events (29.6%) compared to non-SNAP households (<185% federal poverty level (FPL) = 22.3%; ≥185%FPL = 21.0%, p's<0.001). For SNAP-participant children, free acquisition events at school had a higher mean HEI-2010 compared to non-free acquisition events at school (50.3 vs. 43.8, p = 0.033) and free acquisition events by SNAP-non-participant children ≥185%FPL at school (50.3 vs. 38.0, p = 0.001). Free and non-free acquisition events at work had relatively low HEI-2010s, with no differences by SNAP status.
conclusionsOver one fifth of all food acquisition events were free, but free food acquisitions at school and work were relatively unhealthy. For children participating in SNAP, free food acquired at school had higher nutritional quality. Improving the dietary quality of free foods could improve the health of families, especially those participating in SNAP.
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