The NYS Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) serves approximately 475,000 participants on average each month or 54 percent of individuals eligible for the program. The nutritional and health benefits of WIC participation have been established. These benefits are maintained with program participation. In NYS, for infants age zero to six months, 59 percent made one or two additional recertification visits and then did not return. For children aged one to four, 34 percent made one or two additional receritification visits and then did not return. Since retention of eligible infants and children in WIC is a concern, benefits of participation have not been fully realized. In order to determine barriers to retaining infants and children in WIC, the NYS Division of Nutrition conducted interviews with parents/caretakers of WIC enrolled infants and children.
This paper explores factors associated with check usage, defined as not picking up and/or using all WIC checks provided. Check usage is an indicator of participants being at risk for retention. Results from 468 interviews completed in two upstate New York WIC programs reveal that 50 percent of participants reported that not picking up and/or using all checks provided. Results of logistic regression show that age of the child, lack of activities for children at WIC sites and participants’ perception of nutrition education as boring are positively associated with check usage.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, a participant will be able to: 1) identify factors associated with WIC check usage 2) describe a procedure for evaluating the WIC Program
Keywords: Evaluation,
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: NYS WIC Program
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: I work for the NYS Department of Health Division of Nutrition which oversee the WIC Program.