The Evaluation of the Summer EBT for Children Demonstration

Dietary Modification Clinical Trial

— SEBTC  

Official title:

The Evaluation of the Summer Electronic Benefits for Children Demonstration

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT02877147
• Other study ID #: 17322
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: August 16, 2016
• Last updated: August 23, 2016
• Start date: January 2011
• Est. completion date: September 2014

Study information

• Verified date: August 2016
• Source: Abt Associates
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: United States: Federal Government
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The Summer Electronic Benefit for Children (SEBTC) demonstration provided food assistance to households with school-aged children during the summer through electronic benefit transfer (EBT) procedures used by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) programs. The evaluation design included two components: an impact study and an implementation study. The evaluation assessed the impact of SEBTC on children's food security and nutritional status, household food expenditures and purchasing behaviors, parental perceptions, and participation in nutrition assistance programs. The implementation study analyzed SEBTC use patterns using administrative data, and described demonstration implementation and costs.

Description:

The SEBTC evaluation took place in the summers of 2011 through 2014. Ten grantees implemented the demonstration in a total of 16 sites; the number of participating sites and/or the evaluation components differed by year. In 2011, 5 grantees with five sites participated and the evaluation included implementation and cost analysis, EBT analysis, and an impact study. In 2012, 10 grantees implemented SEBTC in 14 sites and the evaluation included the same study components. In 2013, four grantees with six sites participated and the study components included EBT analysis and an impact study (no implementation or cost data collection). Finally, in 2014, three grantees participated in three sites and only implementation data were collected. Information on human subjects was collected for the evaluation's impact evaluation.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 85000
• Est. completion date: September 2014
• Est. primary completion date: September 2013
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 4 Years to 18 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Households with children who were certified to receive the National School Lunch program or the School Breakfast Program in the prior school year in participating sites, Summers 2011-2013

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Dietary Modification
• Food Insecurity Among Children

Intervention

Other:
• SEBTC
SEBTC benefits were issued on EBT cards using either the existing EBT delivery systems for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women Infants and Children (WIC). Sites selected only one of the two EBT systems to be used to implement SEBTC prior to random assignment; households were not randomized to a specific delivery system.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
n/a

Sponsors (4)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Abt Associates	Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., Maxiumus, USDA Food and Nutrition Service

References & Publications (6)

Briefel R, Collins A, Bellotti J, Klerman J, Logan CW, Cabili C, Rowe G, Greece J, Owens C, Weiss A. 2011. Congressional Status Report: Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children Demonstrations. Alexandria, V: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service.

Briefel R, Collins A, Rowe G, Wolf A, Klerman JA, Logan CW, Wulsin CS, Enver A, Owens C, Jacobson J, Bell S. 2012. Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children (SEBTC) Demonstration: 2012 Congressional Status Report. Alexandria, VA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service.

Collins A, Briefel R, Klerman JA, Bell S, Belotti J, Logan C, Gordon A, Wolfe A, McLaughlin S, Enver A, Fernandes M, Wolfson C, Komorovsky M, Cabili C, Owens, C. 2012. Summer EBT for Children Demonstration: Evaluation Findings for the Proof of Concept Yea

Collins A, Briefel R, Klerman JA, Rowe G, Wolf A, Logan CW, Gordon A, Wolfson C, Enver A, l Owens C, Cabili C, Bell S. 2013. Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children (SEBTC) Demonstration: Evaluation Findings for the Full Implementation Year. Alex

Collins AM, Briefel R, Klerman JA, Wolf A, Rowe G, Enver A, Logan CW, Fatima S, Komarovksy M, Lyskawa J, Bell S. 2014. Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children (SEBTC) Demonstration: Findings for the Third Implementation Year. Alexandria, VA: U.S.

Collins AM, Briefel, R, Klerman JA, Rowe G, Wolf A, Logan C, Enver A, Fatima S, Gordon A, Lyskawa A. (2016). Summer Electronic Benefits for Children Demonstration: Summary Report. Alexandria, VA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service.

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Other	Participation in SNAP	Household participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program	Between 30 and 120 days after SEBTC benefits were issued	No
Other	Participation in WIC	Household participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants and Children	Between 30 and 120 days after SEBTC benefits were issued	No
Other	Food expenditures	Total food expenditures from all sources (e.g., cash, SNAP, SEBTC)	Between 30 and 120 days after SEBTC benefits were issued	No
Primary	Very low food security among children according to the U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module, 30-day reference period	The food intake of any child in the household is reduced and their normal eating patterns are disrupted because the household lacks money and other resources for food	Between 30 and 120 days after SEBTC benefits were issued	No
Secondary	Food insecurity among children according to the U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module, 30-day reference period	Any child in the household experienced very low food security or experienced reduced quality, variety, or desirability of diet.	Between 30 and 120 days after SEBTC benefits were issued	No
Secondary	Children's fruit and vegetable consumption	Average daily cup equivalents of fruit and vegetables	Between 30 and 120 days after SEBTC benefits were issued	No
Secondary	Children's fruit and vegetable consumption without fried potatoes	Average daily cup equivalents of fruit and vegetables, excluding fried potatoes	Between 30 and 120 days after SEBTC benefits were issued	No
Secondary	children's whole grain consumption	Average daily consumption of whole grains (in ounces)	between 30 and 120 days after SEBTC benefits were issued	No
Secondary	Children's dairy consumption	Average daily dairy consumption cup equivalents	Between 30 and 120 days after SEBTC benefits were issued	No
Secondary	Children's consumption of low- and non-fat milk	Any milk consumed was low- or non-fat	Between 30 and 120 days after SEBTC benefits were issued	No
Secondary	Children's consumption of added sugars	Average daily consumption of added sugars (in teaspoons)	Between 30 and 120 days after SEBTC benefits were issued	No
Secondary	Children's consumption of added sugars excluding cereals	Average daily consumption of added sugars excluding cereals (in teaspoons)	Between 30 and 120 days after SEBTC benefits were issued	No
Secondary	Children's consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages	Average daily consumption of sugars (in teaspoons) from sugar-sweetened beverages	Between 30 and 120 days after SEBTC benefits were issued	No