Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 10, 2025

Author Spotlight: Studying the Impact of Maternal Dietary Deficiencies on Long-Term Offspring Health Outcomes
03:19

Author Spotlight: Studying the Impact of Maternal Dietary Deficiencies on Long-Term Offspring Health Outcomes

Published on: June 28, 2024

479

WIC Participation and Dietary Quality among US Children: Impact of the 2009 Food Package Revision

Kelin Li1, Jessie X Fan2, Ming Wen3

  • 1Department of Sociology, California State University Dominguez Hills.

Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition
|February 13, 2023
PubMed

Insights

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) improved children's dietary quality. However, the 2009 food benefit revision did not yield further improvements in WIC's effectiveness.

Area of Science:

  • Nutrition Science
  • Public Health Policy
  • Pediatric Health

Background:

  • The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) aims to improve nutritional status and food security for low-income families.
  • Understanding the impact of WIC, particularly after policy changes, is crucial for public health initiatives.
  • Previous research indicates WIC participation is associated with improved dietary intake among children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of the WIC program in enhancing children's dietary quality.
  • To determine if the 2009 WIC food benefit revision led to additional improvements in dietary quality.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 1,753 children aged 2–4 years using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005–2008 and 2011–2016.
  • Application of a propensity score weighted difference-in-difference approach to compare WIC participants with income-eligible non-participants.
  • Assessment of dietary quality using the Healthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI-2015) total scores.

Main Results:

  • WIC participants exhibited significantly higher HEI-2015 scores (2.98 points higher, P<0.01) compared to income-eligible non-participants during the 2011–2016 period.
  • No statistically significant change was detected in the difference of HEI-2015 scores between WIC participants and eligible non-participants from the pre-revision (2005–2008) to the post-revision (2011–2016) period.
  • The findings suggest WIC's positive impact on dietary quality was maintained but not amplified by the 2009 revision.

Conclusions:

  • The WIC program is effective in improving the dietary quality of young children.
  • The 2009 food benefit revision did not result in a measurable enhancement of WIC's impact on children's dietary quality.
  • Continued monitoring and evaluation of WIC policies are essential to optimize nutritional outcomes for vulnerable populations.

Keywords:
ChildrenDietary QualityHealthy Eating IndexNutritionWIC

More Related Videos

A Treatment Package without Escape Extinction to Address Food Selectivity04:23

A Treatment Package without Escape Extinction to Address Food Selectivity

Published on: August 21, 2015

11.6K
'Boden Food Plate': Novel Interactive Web-based Method for the Assessment of Dietary Intake04:46

'Boden Food Plate': Novel Interactive Web-based Method for the Assessment of Dietary Intake

Published on: September 18, 2018

7.3K

Related Concept Videos

Dietary Connections01:23

Dietary Connections

In biological systems, most metabolic pathways are interconnected. The cellular respiration processes that convert glucose to ATP—such as glycolysis, pyruvate oxidation, and the citric acid cycle—tie into those that break down other organic compounds. As a result, various foods—from apples to cheese to guacamole—end up as ATP. In addition to carbohydrates, food also contains proteins and lipids—such as cholesterol and fats. All of these organic compounds are used...
51.6K
Parentral Nutrition: Centeral and Peripheral Parental Nutrition01:27

Parentral Nutrition: Centeral and Peripheral Parental Nutrition

Parenteral Nutrition (PN) delivers essential nutrients directly into the bloodstream, bypassing the digestive system. It is commonly used for individuals with severe digestive disorders or conditions that prevent normal nutrient absorption.
PN can be administered through two primary routes:
1. Central Parenteral Nutrition (CPN):
CPN involves delivering a high concentration of nutrients through a large vein. This is typically achieved using a Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC) or,...
258
Regulation of Food Intake01:30

Regulation of Food Intake

Short-term regulation of food intake primarily involves neural signals from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, blood nutrient levels, and GI tract hormones. Communication between the gut and brain via vagal nerve fibers plays a significant role in evaluating the contents of the gut. Clinical studies have shown that protein ingestion produces a more prolonged response in these nerve fibers compared to an equivalent amount of glucose. Additionally, the activation of stretch receptors caused by GI...
308
Taste Buds and Receptors01:20

Taste Buds and Receptors

Gustation, or the sense of taste, is intrinsically linked to the anatomical structures located on the tongue. This organ's surface, along with the entirety of the oral cavity, is adorned with stratified squamous epithelium. Evident on the tongue are elevated structures known as papillae (singular = papilla), which house the mechanisms for the transduction of gustatory stimuli. Four distinct types of papillae exist, each identified by their unique morphological attributes: the circumvallate,...
2.3K
Environmental Influences on Intelligence01:29

Environmental Influences on Intelligence

Despite the strong genetic influence on traits like intelligence, environmental factors significantly shape outcomes. For example, while over 90% of height variation is due to genetic differences, environmental factors such as nutrition also have a notable impact. Similarly, for intelligence, changes in a child's surroundings can significantly alter their IQ. Research shows that enriched environments boost children's academic success and help them develop key cognitive skills. Children...
389
Inflammatory Bowel Disease III: Diagnostic Studies and Management I-Nutritional Therapy01:30

Inflammatory Bowel Disease III: Diagnostic Studies and Management I-Nutritional Therapy

Various diagnostic tests are employed in the diagnostic process for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), particularly to differentiate between Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
Diagnostic studies
A colonoscopy is the definitive screening test, distinguishing ulcerative colitis from other colon diseases with similar symptoms. During a colonoscopy test, inflamed mucosa with exudate ulcerations can be observed, and biopsies are taken to determine the histologic characteristics of the...
384