title: Improving food choices among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients.
abstract: We used a principal-agent framework to examine the feasibility of two proposed modifications to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program with the goal of encouraging healthier food choices among program participants. Specifically, we analyzed two types of contract: a restricted contract and an incentive contract. The restricted contract did not allow the purchase of unhealthy foods with program benefits, but compensated participants by increasing total benefits. The incentive contract provided increased benefits that varied according to the percentage of healthy foods purchased with program benefits. The theoretical results revealed the mechanisms for the two alternative contracts, the conditions under which each would be effective, and the key empirical questions to be examined for future policy analysis.
authors.affiliation: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, USA. wenyou@vt.edu
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: You
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Rodolfo M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Nayga
mesh_terms: D004032:Diet / Q000191:economics*; D005518:Food Preferences; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control; D011632:Public Assistance / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States