USDA's nutrition assistance programs touch the lives of one in four American consumers annually and the nutrition education efforts associated with select programs offer a powerful opportunity to promote food security and improve dietary quality among eligible individuals and families.

This study is the fourth in a series that uses the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data to examine the relationship between SNAP participation and indicators of diet quality, nutrition, and health. As in previous studies, this study compares SNAP participants with income-eligible and higher income nonparticipants, by age and gender.

This study, Models of SNAP Education and Evaluation (Wave I), is the first of two FNS-initiated independent evaluations designed to identify potential models of effective SNAP-Ed nutrition education and impact evaluation.