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Inside the War on Poverty: The Impact of Food Stamps on Birth Outcomes

Douglas Almond^1,2; Hilary W. Hoynes^1,3,4,5; Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach⁶

¹ National Bureau of Economic Research · ² Columbia University · ³ IZA - Institute of Labor Economics · ⁴ University of California, Davis · ⁵ University of California, Berkeley · ⁶ Northwestern University

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.

DOI

10.1162/rest_a_00089

Volume

93 (2)

Pages

387-403

Language

en

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