TACAA : Research And Statistics

Research and Statistics

• Agricultural Research Service – Southern Plains Area is the principal in-house research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and includes research in nutrition. The Southern Plans Area has eight locations in Texas.

• USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center is one of six federally-funded human nutrition research centers in the nation and the first to conduct scientific investigations into the role of maternal, infant, and child nutrition in optimal health, development, and growth.

• Center for Human Nutrition was established at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center to develop a program to “place the entire field of nutrition on a firm scientific foundation.”

• The Agriculture and Food Policy Center, Texas A & M University conducts analyses of the impacts of government policy proposals and/or implementation procedures on farmers, agribusinesses, taxpayers, and consumers.

• Action for Healthy Kids provides statistics comparing Texas to national rates of childhood obesity, physical education, BMI, and food programs.

• Center for Public Policy Priorities focuses on health care access, immigrants’ access to services, food and nutrition, the state’s eligibility and enrollment system, and TANF.

• End Hunger Network works to end childhood hunger in the U.S. and provides statistics on hunger in Texas.

• National Center for Children in Poverty allows the user to compile data to compare benefits and statistics across federal programs and state statistics including state policy data, state demographics, family resource simulator, and income converter.

• USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly the Food Stamp Program provides data on SNAP participation over time by Congressional district.

• USDA – Economic Research Service – SNAP Data System provides time-series data on State and county-level estimates of SNAP participation and benefit levels, combined with area estimates of total population and the number of persons in poverty.

• USDA – Economic Research Service – Food Environment Atlas provides store/restaurant proximity, food prices, food and nutrition assistance programs, and community characteristics—interact to influence food choices and diet quality.

• USDA WIC page provides data on the WIC Program participation by state, over time.