Attachment J - Interview Guide Test Memo 9-28-17

ATTACHMENT J
INTERVIEW GUIDE TEST MEMO

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Elder SNAP Access Study
Interview Guide Test Memo
Draft Submission

Barbara Murphy and Kameron Burt

Evaluation of Alternatives to
Improve Elderly Access to SNAP

Social Policy Research Associates
March 29, 2017

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Table of Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 1
Methodology for Instrument Testing ............................................................................................................ 1
Results ........................................................................................................................................................... 3
Proposed Changes to the Guide .................................................................................................................... 4
Implications for Recruitment......................................................................................................................... 4
Implications for Data Analysis ....................................................................................................................... 5
Implications for Training ............................................................................................................................... 6
Appendix A: Draft Interview Protocol....................................................................................................... A-1
Appendix B: Draft Field Observation Protocol...........................................................................................B-1
Appendix C: Recruitment Flyer ..................................................................................................................C-1
Appendix D: Participant Information Form............................................................................................... D-1

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Introduction
This memo describes the results of pilot testing of data collection instruments developed for
the Evaluation of Alternatives to Improve Elderly Access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP). The study’s purpose is to better understand how to maximize access to SNAP
for people 60 years of age or older. The evaluation has four key components: (1) an
exploratory study consisting mainly of a review of the existing literature that lays the
groundwork for and guides the rest of the project; (2) a study of State interventions, based
primarily on interviews with State SNAP staff and administrators from ten States; (3) a study of
elderly participant perspectives, based on interviews and focus groups with SNAP eligible elders
in the same ten states; and (4) a quantitative analysis of the effect of various interventions
designed to increase elder SNAP access or enrollment and reduce churn.
Because the instruments for the study of State interventions will be tested during a pilot site
visit (in lieu of pilot interviews), this memo is focused mainly on the instrument for interviewing
elders over 60 for the study of elderly participant perspectives (component 3). We also tested
the use of the observation form and report on the findings of that in the section on data
analysis.
For the study of elderly participant perspectives, the study team will use a semi-structured
interview guide to conduct 150 – 200 interviews with people age 60 and older who are eligible
for SNAP. The interviews will be conducted in 20 counties. Respondents will be classified into
three groups: SNAP participants, non-participating applicants, and eligible non-participants. The
purpose of the testing was to ensure the feasibility of our approach to recruitment, the
interview data collection instrument, and analysis of the elder interviews. Specifically, this
memo will explain how we tested the instrument and then examine whether there are any
changes needed to the content of the instrument, the recruitment methods, or the data
analysis methods. The memo concludes with our reflections on how the results inform our plan
for training interviewers.

Methodology for Instrument Testing
Recruitment
We recruited participants for six pilot interviews with the assistance of DC Hunger Solutions
(DCHS), a grantee of the National Council on Aging, which conducts SNAP outreach in the senior
population in the District of Columbia. DCHS connected SPR’s researcher to the nutritionist at
the Senior Wellness Center in Washington, DC. The center serves DC residents who are 60 and
older, and provides a variety of health and wellness programs, the senior nutrition program,
1 | Elder SNAP Access

distribution of the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, and other supportive services to a
mostly low-income population. All services are provided at no charge to participants. The
Senior Wellness Center is a vibrant center with high levels of daily participation.
The senior center announced the opportunity to participate in the interviews and receive a $25
grocery store gift card as an incentive. A sign-up sheet was placed in the center’s lobby, and
participants signed up for interview time slots. By the end of the first day the list was full, and
by the end of the second day, there were 4 alternates signed up. Interviews were conducted
with the first 6 individuals that signed up, with the exception of one person who originally
signed up but did not appear for his interview. The first person from the alternate list was
selected to fill that slot.
Procedures followed
All interviews were conducted in a private room with comfortable seating on the third floor of
the center. Participants completed a written consent form (with the option of having the
researcher read it to them) and an information sheet with basic demographic information
about themselves (Appendix D). Each participant received a $25 gift card to a local grocery
store.
Each interview was recorded with the permission of the respondent. The researcher also
completed an observation form each day to capture impressions and emerging themes from
the interviews and interactions with the participants.
Participant Characteristics
All six participants were females, with two being between the ages of 60 and 64, three between
the ages of 65 and 69, and the other two between 70 and 74 years old. Five of the six were
African-American and one was Latina. Four participants live alone, and two live in households
of two. One participant had monthly household income of less than $1,000; two had income
between $1,000 and 1,500; two had income between $1,501 and 1,999; and one had income
between $2,000 and 2,999.
Four participants had been or were currently eligible for SNAP, but hadn’t applied. These
participants would fall into our “eligible non-participants” group. One had recently applied and
been approved, but hadn’t yet received benefits. She would be classified into the “nonparticipating applicant” group. One was receiving SNAP benefits, and she would be in the
“SNAP participant” group.

2 | Interview Guide Test Memo

Results
Overall, the test interviews provided very useful information for refining our approach and
interview instrument. The recruitment strategy worked very smoothly, and located participants
who fit the categories anticipated for the interviews. This is helpful to confirm because a similar
method will be used as our backup recruitment strategy with local partners if we are
unsuccessful in our attempts to schedule interviews based on random selection and cold calls
using administrative records and third-party data. Each participant was eager to receive the
incentive gift, so we found that to be a highly effective means to encourage participation. On
the other hand, we observed that using a senior wellness center for recruitment appears to
have the tendency to skew the sample of interview respondents to include only those still active
enough to attend wellness activities at a public center. For this reason, the instrument
was not tested on anyone over 75 years old, and we will examine how we can overcome this
challenge in the field through revisions to our backup recruitment strategy.
The interviews lasted 30 to 55 minutes, with most being between 30 and 40 minutes long. This
was shorter than the one hour that we had anticipated. Participants were comfortable with the
length of the interview, especially as they were prepared to be there for an hour and it took
less time. The interviews flowed well, with the order of the questions following in a logical,
comfortable manner. None of the questions appeared to be confusing to the participants. No
participants requested an explanation of a question or required rewording of a question to be
able to respond.
None of the questions seemed to be perceived as invasive to respondents or to cause any
discomfort. One participant had difficulty answering questions related to recommendations for
improving the program, but the other five did not. Participants did not consistently bring up
topics that were not addressed by the instrument. One participant who had been a caregiver
until recently for her elderly parents with Alzheimer’s disease in her home, pointed out that
some elderly recipients might need assistance being interviewed. She recommended that we
consider allowing caregivers of SNAP recipients to be interviewed on behalf of (or in
conjunction with) elders who are unable to participate fully without assistance.
Overall, most respondents were familiar with SNAP and had favorable views of the program,
but they did not think they were currently eligible. Two had recently applied with support from
the center. One of them was receiving benefits, and the other was approved but waiting to
receive benefits. Respondents reported the following barriers to accessing SNAP: burdensome
paperwork, misunderstanding of eligibility rules, embarrassment of the process of using public
assistance, and low benefit levels. There was one respondent who had a negative perception of
SNAP and government funded assistance programs generally, and she felt ashamed about
participating.

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Proposed Changes to the Guide
We do not recommend any significant changes to the interview instrument. We recommend
one minor change: removing a bullet point in question 1 in the Background section. The bullet
point, “Do you live alone or with others?” is not necessary, as it will be documented prior to the
interview on the background form.

Implications for Recruitment
The process of testing the interview instrument revealed useful insights for refining our
recruitment procedures for the interviews with elders. We confirmed that recruiting interview
participants who are eligible but not utilizing SNAP through local outreach partners is a viable
method for reaching that population. Locations that provide the senior nutrition program
and/or the Commodity Supplemental Food Program attract low-income seniors who may not
be aware they are eligible for SNAP, or who choose not to apply for the program. Local SNAP
outreach projects targeting seniors are also willing partners to help connect researchers with
participants.
However, if we use this recruitment method, we will also need to consider an alternative
strategy for reaching elders with disabilities or who are older and less mobile. For communitybased recruitment, we can partner with Meals on Wheels or another partner that serves homebound seniors, such as a grocery delivery service. To ensure that our overall sample includes all
age categories, we will stratify the sample by age when calling SNAP participants using
administrative data.
The information form that we used to determine whether an individual meets the study criteria
was effective for confirming that the respondents were SNAP eligible and classified in the
correct participant group. However, once people are in an interview setting, with the
expectation of receiving an incentive, it is hard to stop the interview and not give an incentive if
it is discovered that the individual does not meet the eligibility criteria after all. For instance, in
one case a respondent stated during screening that they lived in a household of 3, but one of
them was a grandchild who is legally documented as a member of another household. Given
that cases like this are not likely to be very common, the interviewer recommended that the
most ethical strategy for addressing this is to complete a short interview and still give an
incentive. Because the $25 incentive was very effective at attracting people to participate, we
anticipate that we could reduce the incentive to $20 and make room in the budget for these
additional respondents who attend interviews but turn out to be ineligible for inclusion in the
data analysis.

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We also propose making small changes to the information form (see Appendix D) based on the
interviewer’s observations during the pilot interviews. She observed that education levels may
be associated with perceptions of SNAP and/or use of SNAP, so she recommended adding
educational attainment to the information form. In addition, she recommended that we
include disability status, including cognitive disorders such as dementia, because that may also
shape the ability of respondents to access the program effectively.
An important insight gained from the testing was that we need to be prepared to encounter
situations in which the elderly participant may not be able to participate meaningfully in the
study without some assistance from a caregiver, such as a family member who cares for an
elder with cognitive impairment or dementia. The perspective of caregivers is very important,
as they are the ones who may be doing the day to day household food-shopping and cooking.
The research team will consider strategies for accommodating these situations, especially
because they are more likely to occur with subpopulations that we hope to include in the study:
older elders and elders with disabilities. The study plan will be updated to reflect any changes
we decide to make to be more inclusive of these subpopulations.
Focus Group Recruitment
The success of recruiting participants for these test interviews through a community partner
indicates that this is a promising strategy for recruiting focus group participants as well. At the
same time, the results indicate that we may face challenges recruiting older elders and elders
with disabilities who might find it difficult to travel or participate in a focus group due to
physical or cognitive challenges.

Implications for Data Analysis
The collection of data in this small pilot provides the SPR team with early insights into our
proposed iterative process of data analysis as well. Specifically, it allowed us to test the
usefulness of the field observation form for identifying emergent themes and to consider
classifications and coding schemes that we can set up to begin analyzing the interview data.
Field Observation Form
The interviewer used the observation form to reflect on the day’s experiences with interviewing
and quickly capture her impressions and insights immediately after completing the interviews.
She found the form helpful for identifying themes and patterns in the interviews. These themes
will be useful for the interviewers to plan the focus group sessions where she or he will
be engaging a broader group of elders in a discussion about the themes to test their validity and
to find out about other factors that are influencing SNAP participation. Based on how the test

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interviews went, the observation forms will provide an effective means to identify themes to
discuss in the focus group and gather additional contextual information.
Coding and Classification
The test interview recordings provided the SPR team with an opportunity to test the coding
process that we propose to use in the research. All the interview transcripts will be coded using
qualitative data analysis software based on a set of themes that are informed by our research
questions and hypotheses. The set of themes that we code for will evolve over time as we
continue to conduct and analyze the interviews, because new themes and hypotheses will
emerge from the data. In this way, our analysis procedures will reflect our iterative approach to
the process of data collection and analysis. Having conducted these test interviews, some
respondent characteristics have emerged that will help explain variations in elder perceptions
about and access to SNAP. Some examples include:
•

Special dietary needs (diabetic, high blood pressure)

•

Key points at which elders tend to disengage with the SNAP—e.g., deciding to apply,
submitting applications, application processing, interview, recertification, etc.

•

Reasons for drop-off (e.g. time lags, length of interview, information being lost, etc.)

These variables will be added to our classification list for the coding process. The test interviews
will help refine the classification scheme, and confirm that the interviews will contain a lot of
information critical to getting a richer understanding of the “how” and “why” of elderly
participation patterns in SNAP.

Implications for Training
As detailed in the Study Plan, all interview recruiters and site visitors will receive in-depth
training on data collection and analysis procedures before going into the field. The SPR team
will use insights gained in the pilot testing to inform our training of staff who conduct
telephone recruitment for interviews, the on-site interviews, and the focus groups.
Study Participant Recruiters
Staff involved in recruiting interview participants via phone will be prepared to:
•

interact with and respond in real-time to elders’ questions and concerns, and explain
what is required for the interview;

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•

speak with caregivers and identify the most appropriate way to set up an interview
when a caregiver’s assistance will be necessary, including assistance in the process of
conducting the interview;

•

assess SNAP eligibility, which can be a complicated process, without discouraging elders
who may need assistance to participate in the study;

•

set up interviews in a way that is logistically feasible for the elderly participant and the
interviewer, which will require some familiarity with the geography of the area and
names and locations of local partners in that area.

Site Visitor Training
The pilot interviews have informed our understanding of what we will need to provide to site
visitors to prepare them adequately for conducting interviews with elders in the field.
Specifically, based on the test interviews, the following training topics will be included:
•

procedures for completing the observation forms and using them in focus groups to
validate and gather more information about emerging themes;

•

conducting background research on the local area in advance of their visit on aspects of
the region that might be helpful for the interviews to go more smoothly, such as the
name of the public transit system in urban areas, names and locations of major
supermarkets in the region, and a sense of the local geography and senior-serving
organizations;

•

procedures for determining when and how to work with caretakers to complete the
interviews; and

•

steps for verifying eligibility, and how to end the interview quickly and distribute the
incentive if a participant turns out to be ineligible for SNAP.

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Appendix A: Draft Interview Protocol
Introduction
Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me today. My name is
and I work
for a company called Social Policy Research Associates. I don’t work for the Food Stamp
program, which you might also know as SNAP – the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
– or [locally-appropriate name], but our discussion is part of a research study for the US
Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service, which administers that program. We are
talking with over 150 people like you, who are sixty or older, about the Food Stamp program.
The information that you share with us today will go into a report that we will send back to the
Food and Nutrition Service and then will be released to the public. Although I do have some
specific questions, I would like for this to be more like an informal conversation.
I will take some notes as you talk, but I would also like to ask if it is okay to record our
conversation so that I can mostly focus on listening to you. The recording will only be used by
me and my team to make sure that we have captured your feedback correctly. We will never
use your name or otherwise identify you in a public report, so please feel free to be honest. We
really appreciate hearing about your experience with the Food Stamp program because we
hope that it will help make it easier for people to use the program and to get enough food
when they need it.
Before we begin, do you have any questions for me?

Background
1.

To begin, I’d like to know a little bit about your background.
•
•
•

•

•

How long have you been living in this area?
Do you live alone or with others?
Do you have any (other) family members or close friends living nearby?
o How often do you see them?
o If you needed something, like getting a ride to the doctor or getting extra
food at the end of the month, would you be able to ask any of these people
for help?
How often are you able get out of the house/apartment? Is there anything that
keeps you from getting out as much as you would like to?
o Lack of transportation
o Health problems or disability
o Long distance from town (isolation)
How do you normally get your food?
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2.

o Do you walk, drive, get a ride, take the bus or other public transportation? Or
is your food delivered to you?
o Do you cook for yourself or does someone else cook or bring you meals?
o Do you do your own food shopping? Are there ever times when someone
else will go shopping for you? If so, how often in the last year?
• Are you working?
o [If yes]: Where do you work, what do you do there, and how many hours per
week do you work?
• Do you have access to the Internet? If yes, in your home or outside your home?
[Note that we’d like to ask additional demographic questions about age, income
buckets relative to FPL, nativity, and preferred language over the phone prior to the
interview.]
o [If yes]: how often do you go online?
o [If yes]: do you find computers and the internet easy or hard to use?
o [If yes but no home access]: where do you go to use the Internet? How long
does it take to travel there?
In the last year, have you found it easy or hard to find food that you can afford?
[If easy]: Can you tell me about where you get it and what makes it easy?
[If hard]: What makes it hard? Has that been getting better or getting worse over
time?
If you needed more food or if you could not afford enough food, who would you call or
contact for help?

•
•
3.

Have you contacted them for help in the last year? [If yes], can you tell us how that
came about and what they did to help you?
• Where else can people in this community go if they do not have enough food or
have a difficulty paying for food?
o Probe: food banks, churches, meals on wheels, other community
organizations
o What about older people specifically? Is there a senior center that can help
or another place in town that older people are likely to go?
o Have you ever gone to any of these community centers or resources? [If yes],
can you walk me through how and why you decided to go to the place you
chose to go to?
• Do you think there are enough places for people to go in this community if they are
having trouble affording food?
Now I’d like to learn a little bit about what you know about the Food Stamp program,
which you might also know as SNAP – the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program –
or [locally-appropriate name]. Can you talk a little bit about what you know about the
program?
•

4.

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•
•

•
•
•
•

•

•

•
•

Can you tell me what you think the Food Stamp program is?
Where or from whom have you learned about Food Stamps?
o Radio or TV ad?
o Friend or family?
o Church or community organization?
o Doctor?
o Other?
How and where can they be used to get food?
Who is qualified to use Food Stamps? What is your understanding of how one
qualifies for the program?
Where do you go to get information about programs like Food Stamps? Who would
you ask for more information?
Do you think they are a good thing?
o What are the good things about the program?
o What are the bad things?
Have you ever used Food Stamps or considered using them? Why or why not?
o [If yes]: Can you tell me about your overall experience? Positive and
negative? What was your most recent experience like?
o [If yes]: Are you currently using Food Stamps or have you used them in the
last month?
o [If no]: Why not?
Are there other programs that you receive benefits from?
o [State name for TANF]
o Social Security
o Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
o Disability
o Unemployment compensation
o Meals on Wheels
o Medicare or Medicaid
o Housing assistance / Section 8?
How do you think these other programs compare with SNAP? Are some better than
others?
Now I have a few questions about people in this community and what the general
opinions are about SNAP.
o Do you think people in this community use Food Stamps a lot? What about
friends your age? Is it common?
o Do people in this area think that SNAP benefits are helpful for getting people
the food they need?
o Does the program have a bad reputation or a good reputation here? Why?

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5.
6.

o What do people here think about the amount of the benefits? Are the
benefits high enough to help?
o Do you think people would be embarrassed or judged negatively in this
community if others found out that they were using Food Stamps?
o Use of Food Stamps is much lower among older Americans who are eligible
than it is among younger Americans and families. Why do you think that is?
If you had a friend who was having hard times, would you tell them that they should
look into getting Food Stamps? Why or why not?
What other recommendations would you have for a friend facing hard times?
•

•

What people or agencies do older people in this community rely on for help?
o Family and friends
o Religious leaders
o Food banks or other charities
o Community centers/senior centers
o Social workers or other government agencies
o Anyone else?
Is there enough support here for older people who are having financial problems?
o How could it be improved?
o What are the biggest barriers older people face to supporting themselves
here? (E.g., transportation, lack of medical care/accommodations, lack of
jobs, lack of community supports.)

Application Process [if Applicable]
1.

Now I want to hear about your most recent experience applying for the Food Stamp
program. Can you walk me through how you completed the application?

2.

• When was it?
• Over the phone?
• Online?
• By mail?
• In person with a staff person or volunteer?
• Some other way?
Can you tell me where you were when you completed the application?

3.

• At home?
• At a community organization?
• At a local social services office?
• Somewhere else?
Did anyone else help you fill out the application? Who was it?
•Were they helping you in person or over the phone?

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•
•
•
4.

Can you describe how they helped you?
Did they offer to help you in another language if you needed it?
How helpful was the assistance you got? What else could they have done to make
the process easier for you?
Do you remember how long it took to finish the application?
Did you have to make more than one phone call or visit? [If more than one,] can you
describe what each call was for?
• Did it take longer than you expected? Did you have to spend a lot of timing waiting?
As part of your original application, did you have to do an interview?

•

5.

•
•
•
•
•
•
•

How did you feel about doing the interview?
Was it over the phone or in person? [If in person:] where did it happen?
How long did it take?
Did you learn anything new during the interview? What information did you
receive?
Did you have a chance to ask questions?
How helpful was the person who interviewed you? Is there anything he or she could
have done better to help you?
Did you find the interview useful or helpful in any way, or do you feel that it was not
necessary?

Eligibility Determination [if Applicable]
1.

2.

3.

When you applied for SNAP, did you have to provide any information about your
medical expenses?
[If yes]:
• What information were you asked to provide?
• How did you feel about providing this information?
• How easy was it for you to find all the information you needed?
What other information did you have to provide about your income and other
resources?
• How did you feel about providing this information?
• How easy was it for you to find all the information you needed?
Overall, what were the positive things that you experienced when you applied?
•
•
•
•

4.

Quality of staff assistance?
Time to complete the process?
Clarity of rules and steps?
[English Learners]: Availability of materials in the language you are most comfortable
in?
What were the negative things?
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•
•
•
•

5.

6.

Quality of staff assistance?
Time to complete the process?
Clarity of rules and steps?
[English Learners]: Availability of materials in the language you are most comfortable
in?
Now, I want to ask about what happened after you applied. How did you find out
whether or not you were approved for benefits?
• Letter?
• Phone call?
• Other?
Was your application approved the first time around?

7.

[If application was NOT approved]:
o Were you told why not?
o Was it clear to you what additional information, if any, would have been
needed for you to be approved?
o At that point, did you try to resubmit your application? Why or why not?
• [If application WAS approved]:
o What information were you given about what to do next?
o Were you told how long were approved for benefits for?
o Were you told when you would need to provide updates on your financial
situation and medical expenses?
Thinking back over your experience applying, what would have made it easier for you?

8.

What would you tell a neighbor or friend about how to prepare for the process?

•

Receiving Benefits [if Applicable]
Now I want to ask about your experience receiving Food Stamp benefits, and in particular,
providing the information you need to keep your benefits.
1.

2.

Do you mind sharing how much you receive in benefits each month?

s it enough to help you put food on the table for the month?
Do you have a particular person from the Food Stamp program who you can call with
any questions about your benefits?
•
•

3.

I

How often do you talk to that person?
How easy is it for you to get answers to your questions?

Regardless of whether you have a specific person you contact, how long does it usually
take for someone from the Food Stamp program to get back to you?

s this the right amount of time for you to get the information you need?
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I

4.

In the last year, have you provided any updates on your financial situation and medical
expenses?
•

[If yes]:
o How and when did you provide them?
o Do you get a letter or phone call?
o Is it easy to read/ understand the information you receive about providing
updates on your finances and medical expenses?
o Is there anything that would make it easier for you to remember to provide
this information?

5.

What would make it easier to get the information you need about your benefits?

6.

What would you tell a neighbor or friend about how to make sure to keep their
benefits?

Wrap Up
1.

How do you think the Food Stamp program could be improved?
•

•
2.

What do you think would be the best way to help other seniors like you find out
about the Food Stamp Program so that they can get help paying for their groceries
every month?
What would make it easier to apply?

What else would you like me to know about how the Food Stamp program can better
help people like you?

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Appendix B: Draft Field Observation Protocol
Date

County/State

Interviewer
Please use this form to record your reflections on the interviews that you conducted on each day
that you conducted interviews. The purpose of this data collection activity is to record
observations about the interviews that may not otherwise be apparent from the transcripts
alone and to encourage the researcher to reflect on emerging trends and themes. There is no
need to do a separate form for each interview, just one per day when the interviews and
experiences are fresh in your mind. This information will be analyzed along with the transcripts.
Please do not refer to interview respondents by name.

3.

Please describe the local area generally. Is it urban/rural/suburban? Are the elders that
you interviewed living in isolated settings or are they connected to community
organizations or other service providers? What are the transportation options and how
do elders seem to get around?

4.

Please share your general observations about the interview settings that you
experienced today, the tone of your interviews, and how they went. When did you feel
more or less comfortable? Did the respondents appear to be comfortable? Why or why
not? What seemed to make an interview go well or not as well? Describe the general
tone of the conversations and compare/contrast. Provide some detailed examples to
support your observations.

5.

Based on what you have heard from interviews so far, please reflect on the common
themes that are emerging (if any) related to the perceptions of SNAP.

6.

Are there differences or divergent perspectives emerging related to SNAP? What factors
seem to shape these differences?

7.

Please share what you think are the main barriers to access in the county where you are
conducting interviews. Is there anything about the local or state context that you think
is shaping the barriers to access or helping elders overcome them?

8.

Are there any other trends emerging from the interviews?

9.

Please reflect on how the way you present as an interviewer to the respondents may
have shaped the outcome of the interview, including how much they were willing to
share with you.
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Appendix C: Recruitment Flyer
Elder SNAP Access Study: Interviews March 13-17

We are seeking 6 individuals who are aged 60 or better to interview
about their experience with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP).
 The interview will take about one hour, and will be done at a location of
your choice.
 It is confidential and anonymous – we will not use your name or any
identifying information.
 You will receive a $25 gift card to a nearby grocery store to thank you for
your time.
Social Policy Research Associates (SPR) is conducting the study, which is funded by
the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service. The
study seeks to answer questions such as:
• What barriers exist for people aged 60+ to participate in SNAP?
• What helps make it easier for elders to get SNAP benefits?
• How and why do people aged 60+ decide to use SNAP?
• What do they find most helpful about the program?
We are testing an interview guide that will be used for 200 interviews with elder
SNAP applicants, recipients, and eligible non-participants in 10 States in 2018.

Please contact Madeleine Levin at 202-641-4493 for questions or to
schedule an interview.
March 10, 2017

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Appendix D: Participant Information Form
SNAP SENIOR ACCESS EVALUATION
INTERVIEW INFORMATION SHEET
Thank you for participating in this interview! To help us learn more about you for
our research, please fill out the following information. Only the study team will
see this information and the form will be kept completely confidential.
Zip code:

Sex:

Male

Age:

60- 64
65 - 69
70 - 74
75- 79
80 +

Female

Race/Ethnicity (please check all that apply):

Household* Monthly Income:

White or Caucasian
Black or African-American
Asian/Pacific Islander
Hispanic or Latino
Native American
Other (specify):

Less than $1,000
$1,001 – 1,500
$1501 – 1,999
$2,000 - 2,999
$3,000 or more

Number of people in the Household:
*Household is people who live together, buy food as a group, and prepare meals as a group.