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

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 = 0.03, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.04, p = 0.004). A significant three-way interaction among SNAP participation, race/ethnicity, and time indicated a slightly faster decline in global cognition among Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic SNAP users. Discussion: SNAP participation may help slow age-related cognitive decline. However, the benefits of SNAP vary across different population groups. Further research is warranted to explore the underlying mechanisms and to design interventions that can maximize the benefits of SNAP in improving cognitive decline.