WIC Research, Policy and Practice Hub WIC Research, Policy and Practice Hub
Publication Date

December 19, 2019

Type
Topics
Geography




Journal Article

Food Purchasing Behaviors of WIC Participants: What Non-WIC Eligible Foods Items Are Being Purchased

By Rex S, Trabulsi J, Baker S, Bodt B, Robson S

To describe items purchased during a shopping trip by families enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).

Cross-sectional, quantitative, observational study.

Grocery stores in the Newark, Delaware area.

A convenience sample of mothers (n = 35) were recruited from a local WIC Clinic waiting room.

The number of items categorized into 12 food groups, (baby food, beverages, dairy, fats/oils, fruit, vegetables, grains, protein, preprepared, seasonings, sweets, and other) extracted from grocery receipts.

Means and frequencies were used to analyze continuous and categorical data, respectively, for receipt data and demographics.

The most common foods purchased not included as part of the WIC food package included protein (1.0 [standard deviation, SD 3.0]), preprepared foods (0.9 [SD 2.0]), and other foods (1.0 [SD 1.9]). The most frequent foods purchased included as part of the WIC food package included fruit (2.3 [SD 1.5]), grains (1.7 [SD 1.6]), and dairy (1.5 [SD 0.8]).

Further investigation of foods purchased that were not part of the WIC food package is warranted, as understanding food purchases particularly among low-income mothers may inform nutrition education practices.


View Resource

Date Added
March 13, 2020

Citation
Rex S, Trabulsi J, Baker S, Bodt B, Robson S (2019). Food Purchasing Behaviors of WIC Participants: What Non-WIC Eligible Foods Items Are Being Purchased. Sage Journals. Available online: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0890117119892765