Association Between Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Participation and Cognitive Decline Among Older Americans: A 10-Year Longitudinal Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

This study examines whether SNAP participation slows age-related cognitive decline among cognitively intact older adults over 10 years.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from SNAP-eligible participants in the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative panel survey of U.S. adults aged 50 years and older. Data was collected biennially from 2010 to 2020, and linear mixed regression models were used to estimate associations between SNAP participation and cognitive decline across different population groups.

Results

SNAP participation was associated with a slower cognitive decline in global cognition (β = 0.10, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.14, p < 0.001), memory (β = 0.07, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.11, p < 0.001), and executive function (β = 0.

SUBMITTER: Da L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12645536 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature