Online Grocery Shopping and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefit Transfer Card (EBT): Perceptions of Head Start Caregivers.
Shivani Gupta, Elizabeth Mayers, Sierra Schwierking, Miranda Westrick, Heather Schier, Amy R Sharn, Cara Pannell, Carolyn Gunther
Author Information
Shivani Gupta: Nationwide Children's Hospital, Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Elizabeth Mayers: College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, Family and Consumer Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Sierra Schwierking: College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Miranda Westrick: College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Heather Schier: College of Education and Human Ecology, Department of Human Sciences, Human Nutrition Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Amy R Sharn: College of Education and Human Ecology, Department of Human Sciences, Human Nutrition Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Cara Pannell: College of Education and Human Ecology, Department of Human Sciences, Human Nutrition Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Carolyn Gunther: College of Nursing, Martha S. Pitzer Center for Women, Children, and Youth, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
The objective of this study was to explore perceptions of online grocery shopping and the online United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefit Transfer card (EBT) program among Head Start caregivers. Three focus groups were conducted between December 2019 and January 2020. Most participants hadn't tried online grocery shopping. Concerns included others choosing perishables, receiving wrong items, and inappropriate substitutes. Perceived benefits included saving time, preventing impulse buys, and eating healthier. Results have broad applicability in the current COVID-19 pandemic where online grocery shopping and the online SNAP EBT program have rapidly expanded across the United States.
