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WIC Participation


An Innovative Blood Lead Screening Program for Indian Children

The authors' goal was to screen Indian children on the reservation who were participating in WIC and Head Start. researchers screened close to 100% of the young children on the Rocky Boy reservation. The average blood lead level for these Indian children, ages 1 to 5, was 2.4 micrograms/dL, which is not significantly different from that of children of the same age nationally.


The Impact of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children on Child Health

The authors used data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to analyze the effect of the WIC Program and other factors on the health of US preschool children. Findings revealed that the WIC Program had a significant positive impact on the overall health of children. In particular, children in households participating in WIC were significantly more likely to be in excellent health.


Child Participation in WIC: Medicaid Costs and Use of Healthcare Services

This study examines the relationship between child participation in WIC to Medicaid costs and use of healthcare services in North Carolina. Medicaid-enrolled children participating in the WIC Program showed greater use of all types of healthcare services, compared with Medicaid-enrolled children who were not WIC participants.


The WIC Program: Background, Trends, and Issues

This report described the WIC Program: how it works, its history, program trends, and the characteristics of the population it serves. It also examines issues related to program outcomes and administration. How the WIC community responded to these issues might have a large impact on future program operations.


A Longitudinal Study of WIC Participation on Household Food Insecurity

The researchers studied the association between women's and children's duration of WIC participation and household food security status. Their results showed that among those with initial household food insecurity with hunger, an additional WIC visit reduced the odds of any household food insecurity and of household food insecurity with hunger at the last visit. Earlier and longer WIC participation might improve household food security status, particularly of vulnerable groups.


Issues in Food Assistance-Effects of WIC Participation on Children’s Food Consumption

This study compared consumption patterns of WIC children with those of three different comparison groups: eligible non-participating children living in non-WIC households, eligible non-participating children living in WIC households, and children living in households whose income was too high to be eligible for WIC. The study provided strong evidence that participation in the WIC Program increased consumption of at least some types of WIC-approved foods.


The Effect of Participation in the WIC Program on Preschoolers Diets

The purpose of the study was to evaluate nutrient, food intake, and snacking behavior by participation in the WIC Program. The findings showed that WIC had a beneficial effect on the intake of fat, carbohydrates, added sugar, and fruit from the total diet, as well as on added sugar from snacks.