SNAP Participants (Respondents)

APPENDIX Q.1: IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW PROTOCOL—ENGLISH

OMB Number: XXXX-XXXX

Expiration Date: XX/XX/20XX

Food and Your Household Study In-depth Interview Protocol

General Questions to Establish Context

I. SNAP Participation Background

I-A. I would like to start off by having you tell us a little bit about your participation in SNAP.

1. How long have you participated in SNAP?

2. Is this the first time you have received SNAP benefits?

[If NO, ask participant to focus on their most recent experience for the following question.]

3. I’m interested in hearing about your [most recent] experience with SNAP. Please tell me your story about how you came to be enrolled in the SNAP program.

[PROBE:] What was going on that led you to seek benefits? What was the application process like? What has been your experience with the program so far? What do you like the most? What do you like the best?

I-B. Including yourself, who else is covered by your benefits? [Make a list of persons enumerated.]

1. Are there other people for whom you are regularly responsible for providing food who are not covered under your benefits?

2. [If YES:] Why are these persons not covered under your benefits?

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is XXXX-XXXX. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 90 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data resources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

In-Depth Interview Protocol Module 1: Social Networks and Food Assistance

II. Feeding Others

We are interested in learning how people like you manage to eat healthily in difficult times. For the next set of questions, we’re going to use a diagram to list the people who you help—and who help you—by providing meals, groceries, or money for food [SHOW DIAGRAM].

You are the circle in the middle. First, think of the people you feed. As you think of the people who you help with food, we’re going to put them into three groups, one for each of three rings surrounding the circle. You should order the groups in the order of how much assistance you provide with groceries, meals, or money for food. The smallest ring represents the people living with you—whether or not you receive benefits for them. People in the next ring do not live in your household, but are people you regularly feed or to whom you provide money for groceries. You will work out from there for people to whom you still help, but less regularly.

There is no need to include everyone you know. Just list those people to whom you provide the most assistance with meals and food-related expenses and tell me their relationship to you, such as friend or sister. Circles can be empty, full, or anywhere in between. [Note: cap number of people per ring at 8. Use the following 3 questions to fill out the diagram. Use a BLUE PEN.]

Let’s start with the people who live in your household. To whom do you provide meals regularly?

[If yes, enter initials in inner most circle, starting at the top and moving clockwise. Get relationship of each to respondent.]

II-A. Are there people who you assist with meals and food regularly who do not actually live in your household?

[If yes, enter initials in middle circle, starting at the top and moving clockwise. Get relationship of each to respondent.]

II-B. Are there people whom you haven’t already mentioned but who still really depend on your help to get food?

[If yes, enter initials in outer most circle, starting at the top and moving clockwise. Get relationship of each to respondent.]

II-C. Do most of the people that you’ve talked about know each other fairly well? Which ones? [CONNECT PEOPLE IN DIAGRAM WHO KNOW EACH OTHER USING LINES]

II-D. Details about the social support network

Thinking about the people you just mentioned, do you:

1. Typically provide them with meals?

2. How about groceries?

3. Do you sometimes give them money for food?

(Note: Get specific examples but we don’t need specifics for every network member. Probe for frequency and/or amount of support.)

II-E. Do you find it hard to help out the people you provide assistance to? [If yes] What makes it difficult?

II-F. Is this house/apt rented or owned?”

[If owned]: Who in your household owns it? Do they still pay a mortgage on it?

[If rented]: Who pays the rent?

III. Being Fed

III-A. You’ve said a lot about the ways you help others. I’d like to now give you a chance to talk about the ways others help you with groceries, meals, or money for food.

[Note: cap number of people per ring at 8. Use the following 3 questions to fill out the diagram. Use a RED PEN.]

III-B. Let’s start with the people who help you the most with groceries, meals, or money for food. Is there any one person or people that you feel are so important that it’s hard to imagine feeding your family without them?

[If yes, enter initials in appropriate circle, starting at the top and moving clockwise. Get relationship of each to respondent. If the person mentioned is a household member, put in inner most circle.]

III-C. Are there people who you feel don’t help you out with food quite as much as those you just mentioned, but who still help you out a lot?

[If yes, enter initials in middle circle, starting at the top and moving clockwise. Get relationship of each to respondent.]

III-D. Are there people whom you haven’t already mentioned but who you think are important enough to be included here?

[If yes, enter initials in outer most circle, starting at the top and moving clockwise. Get relationship of each to respondent.]

[IF FATHER OR MOTHER OF CHILD (REN) IS NOT MENTIONED] What about your child (ren)’s father/mother – does he/she help out at all?

III-E. Do most of the people that you’ve talked about know each other fairly well? Which ones? [CONNECT PEOPLE IN DIAGRAM WHO KNOW EACH OTHER USING LINES]

III-F. Details about the Social Support Network

Tell me a little about the ways that the people you have mentioned help you

1. By providing meals;

2. By helping with groceries; and

3. By giving money for food.

(Note: Get specific examples but we don’t need specifics for every network member. Probe for frequency and/or amount of support.)

III-G. Do you find it hard to ask people in your network for help with food when you need it? [IF “YES”] What makes it hard? (probe for norms of helping, self-sufficiency, burden, reciprocity)

III-H. Overall, what do you think is more common—for others to rely on you for help with food, or for you to rely on others for such help?.

In-Depth Interview Protocol Module 2: Perceptions of a Healthy Diet

IV. Healthy Diets

IV-A. Now I’d like to ask you a few questions about healthy eating.

1. What comes to mind when you hear “healthy diet?”

[Probes:] What are some foods that you think are part of a healthy diet? If respondent has difficulty describing healthy diet, ask about particular meals, for example:

• Let’s talk about breakfast. What do you think a healthy breakfast includes?

• How about snacks. Can you think of any snacks that might be part of a healthy diet?

• What about dinner? What kinds of foods would you say are part of a healthy dinner?

IV-B. Nutritionists will also talk about healthy eating habits, such as how much or how often a person eats—how big are the portions of foods, how foods should be combined to make a balanced meal, what times of day are best to have a meal, etc. What do you think are healthy eating habits?

IV-C. Some people are part of a religious or cultural tradition—or were raised in a tradition— that involves eating different styles of food. Do you participate in a cultural tradition like this? [If yes]: What foods do you like to prepare and/or eat?

1. How easy or difficult is it for you to find, purchase, prepare and eat the foods you like? Please tell me more about that.

2. Which of these foods do you think are very healthy? Why?

3. Which foods may be not so healthy? Why?

IV-D. What are some of your favorite foods? How often do you eat [name of favorite food?

IV.E. What about your household members’ favorite foods? What does your family like? How often do they get to eat [name of favorite food]?

IV-F. Are there sometimes disagreements in your house about food or eating? [If yes]: What are the disagreements about? How are they resolved?

IV-G. If money were not a problem, how—and what—would you like to eat?

V. Your Current Diet

V-A. How does your current diet compare to what you described as a healthy diet?

[Probe]: In general, do you feel like your diet is pretty healthy, or not that healthy?

[If “not that healthy,” probe for reasons:] There are a lot of reasons people might not have a healthy diet. What are some reasons you think your diet isn’t very healthy?

[If “pretty healthy,” probe]: How easy is it for you to eat a healthy diet?

V-B. How concerned are you about eating a healthy diet?

V-C. Is there anything you wish you could change about your diet? If so, what would you change?

1. What are some of the things that stand in the way of making that change?

2. What would make it easier to change that aspect of your diet?

V-D. Are there certain times when your eating habits tend to be less healthy? What are some of the reasons you eat a less healthy diet at those times? What kinds of things might help you to stick to a healthy diet at those times?

V-E. Think back to when you didn’t receive SNAP. Was your ability to eat healthily the same, better, or worse? Tell me about that.

1. Do you think SNAP makes it easier or more difficult to eat healthily? Why?

2. [If participant says they ate better without SNAP]: What was going on in your life that you were able to eat better?

V-F. What other kinds of changes in your life have led to changes in how well you can eat? For example, birth of a child, employment, household member leaving or returning, etc. How did these life changes influence your eating habits?

V-G. Do you have any health problems that you think may be related to what you eat? Tell me about that.

V-H. Do any of your household members have health problems related to what they eat? Who? Tell me about that.

V-I. Most families have some unhealthy eating habits. What about your family—has it been easy or difficult to get your family to eat healthy?

V-J. What about your [name household member—children, fiancée, parent]’s diet? Is it healthy? Why or why not?

V-K. [If interviewee is a parent with children in the household]: Some parents tell us that they want to feed their kids healthier foods, but their kids refuse what’s given them. How about for your children? Tell me about that.

In-Depth Interview Protocol Module 3: Topographies of Food Access

VI. The Next Questions are About Where You Purchase and Get Food

VI-A. Where do you usually shop for food?

1. How often do you shop for food?

2. Does shopping [insert frequency mentioned by respondent—every week, every other week, etc.] meet your family’s needs?

3. [If NO]: What prevents you from shopping more frequently?

4. Why do you usually go to [place]?

5. Would you prefer to shop elsewhere? [If yes]: Why?

6. Do any other members of your household shop for food? [If yes]: How often?

VI-B. How often do you eat out? Where do you usually go when you eat out?

[Probe: Do you eat out every day, several times a week, once a week, every other week, or once a month? Do you find yourself eating at more fast food, take-out, or sit-down restaurants?]

1. (If applicable) I noticed that there are a lot of fast food restaurants in your area? Do you ever eat from them?

VI-C. Is there anywhere you get food that you don’t have to pay for it? Where?

[Probe: For example, do family members or friends ever give you food? Do you ever go to food pantries?]

1. How often does this happen?

2. What makes this a good option?

VI-D. I am interested in how you get to the places where you shop for [if respondent also mentions getting food from family/friends/food pantries, add: and pick up] food. I am going to draw a very simple map showing the distance between each place and your home.

1. About how far is [store/restaurant/person/food bank] from your home?

2. How do you get to there? [Probe: Do you take the shortest route there, or do you take a longer route to avoid traffic or certain areas?]

3. How long does it take you to get there?

4. [If taking public transit, ask:] How much is the roundtrip cost?

5. [If taking public transit, biking, or walking ask:] How easy or difficult is it to carry all your groceries? Why?

6. Repeat for each [store/restaurant/organization/person]

[Moderator note: Draw each store/person, noting the distance, mode of transportation, and travel time. If distances are unknown and respondent takes the “shortest route,” map the route and provide the approximate distance following the interview.]

VI-E. Do you ever have others to do grocery shopping for you or to drive you to the store? If so, how often do they take you (or do your) grocery shopping?

1. Is s/he generally available to take you shopping?

2. Do they take you to all the grocery stores you would like to go to? If not, what stores would you like to shop at but can’t? What are the reasons s/he can’t take you to those stores?

3. Would you change where and when you shop if you had your own transportation? Please explain.

VI-F. You mentioned a few places where you go to shop for food. Are there any food stores or markets nearby that you don’t shop at? What are the reasons you don’t shop at these places?

VI-G. Are there other places where you could get food but choose not to? Can you tell me why you choose not to go there?

In-Depth Interview Protocol Module 4: Food Choices, Options, Preferences and Values

VII. The Next Questions are About What You Eat and What You Like to Eat—Your Food Preferences and Eating Habits.

VII-A. Diets, allergies, food restrictions

1. Do you, or anyone in your family, have any special dietary needs, food restrictions, or food allergies? What are they?

[Probe: diabetic diets, low-salt diets, low-fat diets, low-carb diets, vegetarianism, liquid weight-loss diets etc.]

2. How do these needs/restrictions/allergies affect what you buy and eat?

VIII. Food Preparation

VIII-A. Does anyone in your household cook? Who cooks?

VIII-B. What kinds of foods does [name of household member] make?

1. How often does he/she cook?

2. How does he/she decide what to make?

3. Is he/she a good cook? What makes you think he/she is/is not a good cook?

VIII-C. Is there anyone else in the household who could cook, but doesn’t? Why doesn’t s/he?

VIII-D. What recipes or kinds of meals would you like to try but you don’t know how to prepare?

IX. Food Budget

IX-A Right now, how much do you get from SNAP each month? How about over the last year?

IX-B. What other sources contribute to the money you have for groceries?

[PROBE:] Income from work of self or partner or other family member, earned income credit, money received for child support—formally or informally—loans or gifts of cash

IX-C. Do you feel that the money and benefits you have available to spend on groceries for you and your family are sufficient? Why or why not?

IX-D. Do you look for bargains on groceries or on restaurant foods?

[If YES]:

1. How do you know a bargain on groceries when you see one?

2. How do you know a bargain on restaurant food when you see it?

IX-E. In general, how do you make your food budget—including your SNAP allotment— stretch over the month? How well do these strategies work?

IX-F. What kinds of things have you heard about other people doing to make their food budgets stretch? Have you tried these/thought about trying these? If tried – How did that work for you?

IX-G. Is there anything else that would help you make your food budget stretch better?

X. Time of Year and Food Availability

X-A. Some times of the year are easier on the food budget than others. For you, what are the toughest times to get by food-wise? Explain.

[PROBE: Children and school lunches easier; children and summer vacation elsewhere easier; seasonal cost of fruits and vegetables]

1. How do you manage during these difficult times of year?

2. Tell me about the last time that happened. How did you cope?

[IF RESPONDENT IS HAVING TROUBLE, PROBE: Sometimes people skip meals, eat at a

family member’s house, use food pantries or soup kitchens. What about for you?]

In-Depth Interview Protocol Module 5: Participant Demographics, Household Tour and Observation

XI. Participant Demographics

1. Gender:

2. Age:

3. Marital status:

4. Self-identified ethnic identity: “What is your race or ethnicity?”

5. “Where you born outside of the US, Puerto Rico or other US territories?” [IF yes]: Where and “How long have you lived in the US?”

XII. Tour

X-A. Now, I would like to ask you to give me a tour of your kitchen and the spaces in your home where you eat. We’re interested in understanding how the appliances, groceries, and space you have available may influence the kinds of food you prepare and what and when you eat.

1. Would you be willing to take me through a tour of your kitchen, including appliances, groceries you keep on hand, and your eating spaces?

[If yes]: Great! Let’s start over here.

XIII. Household Observation

This module is ethnographic and loosely structured. Therefore, the exact questions and comments that will be made by the interviewers cannot be completely anticipated in advance. The purpose of the household observation component of the In-Depth Interview Protocol is to understand:

(A) How the eating and dining spaces of the SNAP participants’ households constrain food choices related to healthy eating and permit for creative solutions, and

(B) How SNAP participants make use of their household spaces for cooking, dining, and entertaining.

Interviewers should note:

1. Eating space: including table and chairs

1. Are there a table and chairs?

2. How many chairs are there in the kitchen or other eating spaces relative to the number of individuals in the household?

3. [If there are fewer chairs than household members]: Do household members eat together? At the same time each day? How and where do household members eat if they eat together? Do any household members, or groups of household members, prepare their own meals?

2. Cooking appliance including stove, refrigerator, counter space, cabinet space

1. Working?

2. Adequate space and size?

3. Outdoor cooking?

4. Alternate sources of power or gas?

5. Deep freezer?

6. Food safely stored?

3. Small appliances present including microwave, toaster, toaster oven, coffee maker, blender, juicer, etc.?

1. By whom and how often are the small appliances used [ask about each appliance]?

2. For what dishes/preparations/foods are the appliances used?

4. Does the household have a deep freezer? How does the household use the deep freezer? What does it contain?

5. Are there people in the house eating during the interview? Where are they eating? What are they eating? Did the SNAP participant mention them when he/she described the persons for whom he/she is responsible for feeding? [If no:] Why not?

In-Depth Interview Protocol Diagrams

M odule 1: Social Networks and Food Assistance

Module 3: Topographies of Food Access

Draw Map Here

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