The researchers identified the barriers to and motivators of behavior change for WIC families. Barriers included lack of parenting skills, lack of knowledge, unhealthy social environments, lack of time, and lack of social or financial support. The motivators included feelings of responsibility, concern for child health and development, and positive social support. Facilitated discussions, support groups, cooking classes, and a WIC website were participants; preferred methods of nutrition education.
The authors researched the development and randomized evaluation of a tailored nutrition education CD-ROM program for WIC Program participants in North Carolina. Their findings suggested that one session of an interactive CD-ROM program could impact mediators of dietary change, but it was insufficient to change behavior.
In this study, a written questionnaire was used to assess the opportunities and challenges of delivering; food safety education within WIC. The sample included directors and health professionals with nutrition counseling responsibilities in 79 WIC clinics in a midwestern state.
This study evaluated the effectiveness of a single brief interactive experience of the Little by Little CD-ROM in increasing fruit and vegetable intake in low-income women. Two months after the intervention, participants who were in the intervention groups reported significantly higher fruit and vegetable intake than those in the control group.
This study evaluated the Maryland WIC Food for Life Program, a nutrition education intervention to improve healthy behaviors. Post Intervention, participants in the intervention group consumed a smaller percentage of calories from fat, more fruits and vegetables, and more fiber. There was also a dose-response relationship between the number of nutrition education sessions attended and the magnitude of change from baseline.
The objective of the study was to provide culturally appropriate nutrition education to improve the diets of Vietnamese women. Bicultural, bilingual Vietnamese-American nutrition education assistants taught five; to seven lessons in the Vietnamese language, using nutrition education materials written in Vietnamese. Over time, the dietary nutrient density of calcium, riboflavin, vitamin B6, and potassium significantly improved in the intervention group, compared with the control group.
The authors presented an economic model of a national infant formula market. Their research showed that the behavior of paying customers, manufacturers, and retail stores determined the value of local sole-source contracts to manufacturers. In turn, this value motivated manufacturers to acquire sole-source contracts and make rebate payments that contained the taxpayer cost of providing infant formula to WIC Program participants.
This study looked at the relationship between maternal health and infant dietary patterns in WIC participants in Maryland. Data from 689 mother-infant pairs revealed the following: A total of 36.5% of mothers reported introducing solids to their infants early (<4 months of age), and 40% reported adding cereal to their infant's bottle. Overall, results demonstrated that maternal mental health symptoms were associated with poorer infant-feeding practices and higher infant dietary intake during the first 6 months.
This study identified barriers that deterred parents/caretakers of infants and children enrolled in the WIC Program from taking full advantage of the services provided by the program. Waiting too long was the most frequently cited barrier (48%). Difficulties in bringing the infant/child to recertify and rescheduling appointments were key variables associated with failure to use (i.e., pick up or cash) WIC checks.
The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the barriers to prenatal care for homeless pregnant women. Based on the results, 75.61% of the respondents perceived barriers to prenatal care. Site-related factors were the most significant, followed by provider ;client relationship, inconvenience, fear, and cost.
