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The WIC Program: Background, Trends, and Economic Issues, 2015 Edition

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  • Oliveira, Victor
  • Frazao, Elizabeth

Abstract

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides supplemental food, nutrition education (including breastfeeding promotion and support), and referrals to health care and other social services to low-income, nutritionally at-risk women, infants, and children up to 5 years of age. On average, over half of all infants in the United States, over a quarter of all pregnant and postpartum women, and over a quarter of all children less than 5 years of age participate in the program. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which authorized funds for WIC, is set to expire on September 30, 2015. The reauthorization process provides an important opportunity to reexamine the operation and effectiveness of the program and to consider improvements. This report explains how WIC works, examines program trends, and discusses some of the major economic issues facing the program (including the impact of economic conditions on participation, some lesser known effects of WIC, and equity and cost-management issues).

Suggested Citation

  • Oliveira, Victor & Frazao, Elizabeth, 2015. "The WIC Program: Background, Trends, and Economic Issues, 2015 Edition," Economic Information Bulletin 197543, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:uersib:197543
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.197543
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Valizadeh, Pourya & Smith, Travis A., 2018. "Distributional Impacts of WIC on Dietary Quality of Children: Evidence from a Regression Discontinuity Design," 2018 Annual Meeting, August 5-7, Washington, D.C. 273904, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    2. Hudak, Katelin M. & Racine, Elizabeth F., 2021. "Do additional SNAP benefits matter for child weight?: Evidence from the 2009 benefit increase," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    3. Li, Xuemei & Saitone, Tina L. & Sexton, Richard J., 2022. "Impacts of Electronic Benefit Transfer on the Women, Infants and Children Program: Evidence from Oklahoma," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 47(2), May.
    4. Hodges, Leslie & Toossi, Saied & Todd, Jessica E. & Ryan-Claytor, Cayley, 2024. "The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): Background, Trends, and Economic Issues, 2024 Edition," Economic Information Bulletin 341637, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    5. Marit Hinnosaar, 2023. "The Persistence of Healthy Behaviors in Food Purchasing," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 42(3), pages 521-537, May.
    6. McLaughlin, Patrick W. & Gleason, Stacy & Wilkin, Margaret, 2018. "Price Variability Across Food Product and Vendor Type in Food Benefit Redemptions Under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)," Economic Research Report 276225, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    7. Travis A. Smith & Pourya Valizadeh, 2024. "Aging out of WIC and child nutrition: Evidence from a regression discontinuity design," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 106(2), pages 904-924, March.
    8. Miyoung Oh & Helen H. Jensen & Ilya Rahkovsky, 2016. "Did Revisions to the WIC Program Affect Household Expenditures on Whole Grains?," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 38(4), pages 578-598.
    9. Rickertsen, K. & Gustavsen, G.W. & Nayga, R.M. & Dong, D., 2018. "Acculturation in Food Choices among U.S. Immigrants," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277041, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    10. Qi Zhang & Chuanyi Tang & Patrick W. McLaughlin & Leigh Diggs, 2017. "Individual and Store Characteristics Associated with Brand Choices in Select Food Category Redemptions among WIC Participants in Virginia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-10, March.
    11. Katelin M. Hudak & Sara E. Benjamin-Neelon, 2021. "Timing of WIC Enrollment and Responsive Feeding among Low-Income Women in the US," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-12, July.
    12. Jeehoon Han, 2020. "Snap Expansions And Participation In Government Safety Net Programs," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 58(4), pages 1929-1948, October.
    13. Paluta, Lauren & Kaiser, Michelle L. & Huber-Krum, Sarah & Wheeler, Jack, 2019. "Evaluating the impact of a healthy corner store initiative on food access domains," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 24-32.
    14. Di Fang & Michael R. Thomsen & Rodolfo M. Nayga & Aaron M. Novotny, 2019. "WIC Participation and Relative Quality of Household Food Purchases: Evidence from FoodAPS," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 86(1), pages 83-105, July.
    15. Yan, Ji, 2022. "Is WIC effective in improving pregnancy-related outcomes? An empirical reassessment," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    16. Tiehen, Laura & Frazão, Elizabeth, 2016. "Where Do WIC Participants Redeem Their Food Benefits? An Analysis of WIC Food Dollar Redemption Patterns by Store Type," Economic Information Bulletin 262145, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    17. Pourya Valizadeh & Shu Wen Ng, 2021. "Would A National Sugar‐Sweetened Beverage Tax in the United States Be Well Targeted?," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 103(3), pages 961-986, May.
    18. Dong, Diansheng & Stewart, Hayden & Frazão, Elizabeth & Carlson, Andrea & Hyman, Jeffrey, 2016. "WIC Household Food Purchases Using WIC Benefits or Paying Out of Pocket: A Case Study of Cold Cereal Purchases," Economic Research Report 262197, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    19. Li, Xuemei & Saitone, Tina L. & Sexton, Richard J., 2018. "Electronic Benefit Transfer and the Women, Infants and Children Participation Rate: Evidence from Oklahoma EBT Transition," 2018 Annual Meeting, August 5-7, Washington, D.C. 273850, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    20. Rojas Christian A. & Wei Hongli, 2019. "Spillover Mechanisms in the WIC Infant Formula Rebate Program," Journal of Agricultural & Food Industrial Organization, De Gruyter, vol. 17(2), pages 1-14, November.

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    Keywords

    Agricultural and Food Policy; Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety; Food Security and Poverty;
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