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Policymakers have suggested and implemented work requirements for safety-net programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). If these work requirements impact program participation, they may lead to greater food insecurity. This paper investigates the effects of implementing the work requirement for the SNAP on emergency food assistance usage. Data were used from a cohort of food pantries in Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi, which imposed the SNAP work requirement in 2016. Event study models were run in 2022, leveraging geographic variation in exposure to the work requirement to measure changes in the number of households served by the food pantries. The 2016 introduction of the SNAP work requirement increased the number of households served by food pantries. The impact is concentrated among urban food pantries. On average, an urban agency exposed to the work requirement served 34% more households in the 8 months after the work requirement than an agency with no exposure. Individuals who lose SNAP eligibility owing to the work requirement remain in need of assistance and seek other sources of food. SNAP work requirements thus increase the burden on emergency food assistance programs. Work requirements for other programs may also lead to increased emergency food assistance use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobile applications ('apps') for WIC families are becoming increasingly prevalent, especially in states that have transitioned from paper vouchers to electronic benefits transfer (EBT) for WIC. Apps and other digital technologies can improve the WIC experience by helping participants check their benefit balance, scan food items to determine WIC eligibility, streamline service delivery, and provide additional nutrition education. The Children Eating Well (CHEW) app aims to maximize redemption of WIC foods and improve overall diet quality of preschool-aged participants by facilitating benefit redemption at the store and providing easy, practical ways for parents to increase consumption of healthy foods through healthy recipes, quizzes, and goal setting features. The objective is to report on the findings of user testing and development during the preparation of version 2.0 of the CHEW app. Our team conducted qualitative interviews families of WIC children aged 2-4 years in an iterative process to inform user-centered development of version 2.0 and to maximize usability of the app. Using a sorting activity, participants were asked to rank potential in-app features by importance then place the cards into natural groupings of similar features. Participants were also asked to form mental models about using recipes, shopping lists, using WIC benefits, and checking their WIC balance. We will report on qualitative findings that informed the user interface, improvement of shopping tools, and format of nutrition education features. We will also describe how we are collaborating with partners and outline ways that potential partners can collaborate with the CHEW team to disseminate existing nutrition education content to WIC participants through the CHEW app in the future. The CHEW 2.0 app will be implemented in WIC clinics across the state of Tennessee as a supplemental education tool for families to use at home, with plans for future dissemination to other states. These formative findings can also inform the development of other technology applications for the WIC program. 2017-68001-26352. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]