Evaluating the Influence of the Revised Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Food Allocation Package on Healthy Food Availability, Accessibility, and Affordability in Texas

2016 ◽  
Vol 116 (2) ◽  
pp. 292-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenhua Lu ◽  
E. Lisako J. McKyer ◽  
Diane Dowdy ◽  
Alexandra Evans ◽  
Marcia Ory ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Availability ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Infants And Children ◽  
Supplemental Nutrition ◽  
Nutrition Program ◽  
Food Allocation ◽  
Healthy Food Availability ◽  
Supplemental Nutrition Program

scholarly journals Healthy food availability and participation in WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) in food stores around lower- and higher-income elementary schools

2010 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 960-964 ◽  
Author(s):  
June M Tester ◽  
Irene H Yen ◽  
Lauren C Pallis ◽  
Barbara A Laraia
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Schools ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Infants And Children ◽  
Lower Income ◽  
Supplemental Nutrition ◽  
Nutrition Program ◽  
Food Stores ◽  
Food Outlets ◽  
Income Status ◽  
Supplemental Nutrition Program

AbstractObjectiveThe nutritional intake of schoolchildren is affected not only by what is consumed at school but also by what is available in food outlets near schools. The present study surveys the range of food outlets around schools and examines how the availability of healthy food in the food stores encountered varies by income status of the school and by store participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food assistance programme.DesignNetwork buffer zones were created to reflect a quarter-mile (400 m) walk from elementary schools with lower- and higher-income student populations in Oakland, CA, USA. All food outlets within these zones were categorised by type, and audits were conducted within food stores using a checklist to assess for the presence or absence of twenty-eight healthy items (in five domains).SettingMid-sized city in the USA.SubjectsFood outlets near public elementary schools.ResultsThere were considerably more food outlets around lower-income schools. Food stores near higher-income schools had higher scores in two of the five domains (healthy beverages/low-fat dairy and healthy snacks). However, there were more food stores near lower-income schools that accepted WIC vouchers. Stratification showed that WIC stores scored higher than non-WIC stores on four of the five domains.ConclusionsAlthough higher-income students have more access to healthy food in the environment surrounding their school, this disparity appears to be mitigated by stores that accept WIC and offer more healthy snacking options. Federal programmes such as this may be particularly valuable for children in lower-income areas.

scholarly journals USDA Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Vendor Criteria: An Examination of US Administrative Agency Variations

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 3545
Author(s):  
Matthew J. Landry ◽  
Kim Phan ◽  
Jared T. McGuirt ◽  
Alek Ostrander ◽  
Lilian Ademu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Local Community ◽  
Ethnic Disparities ◽  
The United States ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Infants And Children ◽  
United States Department ◽  
Supplemental Nutrition ◽  
Nutrition Program ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Supplemental Nutrition Program

The food retail environment has been directly linked to disparities in dietary behaviors and may in part explain racial and ethnic disparities in pregnancy-related deaths. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), administered by the United States Department of Agriculture, is associated with improved healthy food and beverage access due to its requirement for minimum stock of healthy foods and beverages in WIC-eligible stores. The selection and authorization criteria used to authorize WIC vendors varies widely from state to state with little known about the specific variations. This paper reviews and summarizes the differences across 16 of these criteria enacted by 89 WIC administrative agencies: the 50 states, the District of Columbia, five US Territories, and 33 Indian Tribal Organizations. Vendor selection and authorization criteria varied across WIC agencies without any consistent pattern. The wide variations in criteria and policies raise questions about the rational for inconsistency. Some of these variations, in combination, may result in reduced access to WIC-approved foods and beverages by WIC participants. For example, minimum square footage and/or number of cash register criteria may limit vendors to larger retail operations that are not typically located in high-risk, under-resourced communities where WIC vendors are most needed. Results highlight an opportunity to convene WIC stakeholders to review variations, their rationale, and implications thereof especially as this process could result in improved policies to ensure and improve healthy food and beverage access by WIC participants. More work remains to better understand the value of state WIC vendor authorization authority, particularly in states that have provided stronger monitoring requirements. This work might also examine if and how streamlining WIC vendor criteria (or at least certain components of them) across regional areas or across the country could provide an opportunity to advance interstate commerce and promote an equitable supply of food across the food system, while ensuring the protection for local, community-oriented WIC vendors.

Another Look at WIC’s Breastfeeding Data: State Totals Reveal More Than Regional Averages

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shari Salzhauer Berkowitz
Keyword(s):  
Native American ◽  
Local Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Regional Level ◽  
Infants And Children ◽  
Fiscal Year ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Supplemental Nutrition ◽  
Nutrition Program ◽  
Supplemental Nutrition Program

Background: Breastfeeding is known to be the most beneficial way of feeding infants, but 68% of the infants enrolled in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children are fully formula fed. Mandated annual reports about breastfeeding aggregate data from the states into regions, which obscures important information. Research Aim: The aim of this study is to reexamine the data supplied by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children to identify which areas of the United States have the lowest incidence of breastfeeding infants. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional observational study was conducted. Data from the Breastfeeding Data Local Agency Report were extracted, graphed, and analyzed. Results: Data provided from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children for fiscal year 2016 show that the range of fully formula fed infants at the regional level is 60% to 78%, while at the state level the range is wider, at 51% to 89%. The states with the largest numbers of fully formula fed infants were Mississippi (89%), Louisiana (88%), Alabama (88%), and Arkansas (87%). When examining data from all 90 reporting agencies, the range of fully formula fed infants was 38% to 95%. Conclusions: Aggregating state, Native American nation, and territorial data at the regional level resulted in a loss of important information. WIC’s current breastfeeding interventions may be more effective in some areas than others. Future research can examine successful and unsuccessful interventions on a state or local level.

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children is Associated with Several Changes in Nutrient Intakes and Food Consumption Patterns of Participating Infants and Young Children, 2008 Compared with 2016

2020 ◽  
Vol 150 (11) ◽  
pp. 2985-2993
Author(s):  
Joanne F Guthrie ◽  
Andrea S Anater ◽  
Joel C Hampton ◽  
Diane J Catellier ◽  
Alison L Eldridge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saturated Fat ◽  
Food Group ◽  
Infants And Children ◽  
Baby Food ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Supplemental Nutrition ◽  
Nutrition Program ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Wic Participation ◽  
Supplemental Nutrition Program

ABSTRACT Background In 2009 the USDA's Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) updated the food packages provided to participants. Objectives This study investigates associations between WIC participation and nutrients and food groups consumed using data from the Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study's 2008 and 2016 nationwide, cross-sectional surveys of children <4 y, weighted to be representative of the US population. Methods The study data included 2892 children aged 6–47.9 mo in 2008 and 2635 in 2016. Differences were analyzed by WIC participation, survey year, and child age (infants 6–11.9 mo old, toddlers 12–23.9 mo old, preschoolers 24–47.9 mo old). Usual nutrient intake distributions were estimated using National Cancer Institute methodology. Daily food group consumption differences were tested via multivariate regression. All analyses controlled for income. Results In 2016 18.6% of infants had iron intakes below the estimated average requirement (EAR), compared to 7.6% in 2008; 87% of WIC infants met the EAR, compared with 69% of non-WIC infants. In 2016 37% of WIC preschoolers met saturated fat guidelines, compared with 25% in 2008; in both years, fewer than one-third of non-WIC preschoolers met the guidelines. More WIC infants than non-WIC infants consumed infant cereals in 2016 (58% compared with 45%, respectively). More WIC infants ate vegetables daily in 2016 than in 2008 (74% compared with 59%, respectively).  In 2016, as compared with 2008, more WIC infants consumed baby-food vegetables (55% compared with 29%, respectively) and fruits (56% compared with 41%, respectively). In 2016 47% of WIC preschoolers drank low-fat milk, compared with 19% of non-WIC preschoolers. Conclusions Infant iron intakes are concerning, although more WIC infants meet the EAR. WIC infants’ vegetable intakes have improved; baby-food vegetables have become important contributors to their intakes. In 2016 WIC children were more likely than non-WIC children to shift to lower-fat milks at 2 y of age, likely contributing to lower saturated fat intakes.

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