A new long-term study presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC 2025) shows that participation in the US Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is associated with slower cognitive decline among older adults over a ten-year period. Analysing data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), researchers compared two groups of adults aged 50 and older across 2010 and 2020: 1,131 SNAP participants (average age 63 years) and 1,216 eligible non-participants (average age 66 years). SNAP participants showed a 0.10 point slower decline in overall cognitive function, or two to three additional years of cognitive health over the 10-year period.
Although all racial and ethnic groups saw benefits, White SNAP participants observed much stronger benefits and slower decline than other groups. Researchers highlighted the potential of food assistance programmes to support cognitive health in the aging population and pointed to the need for additional efforts to reduce disparities in cognitive aging across different racial and ethnic groups. They also underscored the need for public health policies that ensure equitable access to programs like SNAP, which helps low-income individuals and families buy food, particularly for populations that may face additional barriers to enrolment.
https://aaic.alz.org/releases-2025/snap-nutrition-program-linked-slower-cognitive-decline.asp