TY - JOUR
T1 - Inside the war on poverty
T2 - The impact of food stamps on birth outcomes
AU - Almond, Douglas
AU - Hoynes, Hilary W.
AU - Schanzenbach, Diane Whitmore
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2011 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2011/5
Y1 - 2011/5
N2 - This paper evaluates the health impacts of a signature initiative of the War on Poverty: the introduction of the modern Food Stamp Program (FSP). Using variation in the month FSP began operating in each U.S. county, we find that pregnancies exposed to FSP three months prior to birth yielded deliveries with increased birth weight, with the largest gains at the lowest birth weights. We also find small but statistically insignificant improvements in neonatal mortality. We conclude that the sizable increase in income from FSP improved birth outcomes for both whites and African Americans, with larger impacts for African American mothers.
AB - This paper evaluates the health impacts of a signature initiative of the War on Poverty: the introduction of the modern Food Stamp Program (FSP). Using variation in the month FSP began operating in each U.S. county, we find that pregnancies exposed to FSP three months prior to birth yielded deliveries with increased birth weight, with the largest gains at the lowest birth weights. We also find small but statistically insignificant improvements in neonatal mortality. We conclude that the sizable increase in income from FSP improved birth outcomes for both whites and African Americans, with larger impacts for African American mothers.
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U2 - 10.1162/REST_a_00089
DO - 10.1162/REST_a_00089
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:79957491234
SN - 0034-6535
VL - 93
SP - 387
EP - 403
JO - Review of Economics and Statistics
JF - Review of Economics and Statistics
IS - 2
ER -
