Participant Recommendations for Improving the WIC Experience: Evaluating Data from the 2021 Multi-State Participant Satisfaction Survey

Presentation Type

Poster

Presentation Type

Submission

Department

Nutritional Science

Major

Nutritional Science

Abstract

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) has been providing low-income women and children with access to healthy foods since 1974. The WIC food packages are designed to provide supplemental foods to meet the nutritional needs of pregnant and postpartum women and children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, WIC services transitioned from an in-person to a remote service delivery model. Adaptations such as a cash value benefit (CVB) increase for purchasing fruits and vegetables and USDA granted waivers for food package substitutions were implemented during this time. The 2021 Multi-State WIC Participant Satisfaction Survey evaluated participants' experiences and satisfaction with WIC during these changes. The survey was administered by 12 WIC state agencies with a total of 26,642 respondents. It included an open-ended question which asked participants to share any feedback about their WIC experience. We received 7,831 responses (in English and Spanish) to the open-ended question, which were coded into themes and analyzed in SPSS (version 27) using multiple response analysis. While the majority of respondents (43.3%) indicated satisfaction with WIC, a sizable number of participants also wanted more flexibility and personalization of WIC foods. Wanting more WIC food options, increasing the CVB amount, and carrying over unused benefits were among the most frequent requests. The findings of this study have the potential to inform and support improvements in the upcoming WIC food package revision proposed by the USDA.

Faculty Mentor

Dr. Loan Kim

Funding Source or Research Program

Academic Year Undergraduate Research Initiative

Location

Waves Cafeteria

Start Date

24-3-2023 2:00 PM

End Date

24-2-2023 4:00 PM

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Mar 24th, 2:00 PM Feb 24th, 4:00 PM

Participant Recommendations for Improving the WIC Experience: Evaluating Data from the 2021 Multi-State Participant Satisfaction Survey

Waves Cafeteria

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) has been providing low-income women and children with access to healthy foods since 1974. The WIC food packages are designed to provide supplemental foods to meet the nutritional needs of pregnant and postpartum women and children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, WIC services transitioned from an in-person to a remote service delivery model. Adaptations such as a cash value benefit (CVB) increase for purchasing fruits and vegetables and USDA granted waivers for food package substitutions were implemented during this time. The 2021 Multi-State WIC Participant Satisfaction Survey evaluated participants' experiences and satisfaction with WIC during these changes. The survey was administered by 12 WIC state agencies with a total of 26,642 respondents. It included an open-ended question which asked participants to share any feedback about their WIC experience. We received 7,831 responses (in English and Spanish) to the open-ended question, which were coded into themes and analyzed in SPSS (version 27) using multiple response analysis. While the majority of respondents (43.3%) indicated satisfaction with WIC, a sizable number of participants also wanted more flexibility and personalization of WIC foods. Wanting more WIC food options, increasing the CVB amount, and carrying over unused benefits were among the most frequent requests. The findings of this study have the potential to inform and support improvements in the upcoming WIC food package revision proposed by the USDA.