Report

WIC Works: Addressing the Nutrition and Health Needs of Low-Income Families for 40 Years

By Carlson S, Neuberger Z

Over four decades, researchers have investigated WIC’s effects on key measures of child health such as birth weight, infant mortality, diet quality and nutrient intake, initiation and duration of breastfeeding, cognitive development and learning, immunization, use of health services, and childhood anemia. Two comprehensive reviews of the research literature cataloged the findings on WIC’s effectiveness through 2010. This paper builds on those reviews, extending the evidence from earlier studies with more recent research. Taken as a whole, the evidence demonstrates that WIC is a cost-effective investment that improves the nutrition and health of low-income families — leading to healthier infants, more nutritious diets and better health care for children, and subsequently to higher academic achievement for students.

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Date Added
September 6, 2019

Citation
Carlson S, Neuberger Z (2017). WIC Works: Addressing the Nutrition and Health Needs of Low-Income Families for 40 Years. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.  Available online: https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/wic-works-addressing-the-nutrition-and-health-needs-of-low-income-families