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Intra-Household Allocation and Consumption of WIC-Approved Foods: A Bayesian Approach

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  • Ishdorj, Ariun
  • Jensen, Helen H.
  • Tobias, Justin

Abstract

WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, is a widely studied public food assistance program that aims to provide foods, nutrition education, and other services to at-risk, low-income children and pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women. From a policy perspective, it is of interest to assess the efficacy of the WIC program – how much, if at all, does the program improve the nutritional outcomes of WIC families? In this paper, we address two important issues related to the WIC program that have not been extensively addressed in the past. First, although the WIC program is primarily devised with the intent of improving the nutrition of “targeted” children and mothers, it is possible that WIC may also change the consumption of foods by nontargeted individuals within the household. Second, although WIC eligibility status is predetermined, participation in the program is voluntary and therefore potentially endogenous. We make use of a treatment–response model in which the dependent variable is the requirement-adjusted calcium intake from milk consumption and the endogenous variable is WIC participation, and estimate it using Bayesian methods. Using data from the CSFII 1994–1996, we find that the correlation between the errors of our two equations is strong and positive, suggesting that families participating in WIC have an unobserved propensity for high calcium intake. The direct “structural” WIC parameters, however, do not support the idea that WIC participation leads to increased levels of calcium intake from milk.

Suggested Citation

  • Ishdorj, Ariun & Jensen, Helen H. & Tobias, Justin, 2008. "Intra-Household Allocation and Consumption of WIC-Approved Foods: A Bayesian Approach," ISU General Staff Papers 200801010800001473, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
  • Handle: RePEc:isu:genstf:200801010800001473
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    1. Michael Ponza & Barbara Devaney & Paula Ziegler & Kathleen Reidy & Cathie Squatrito, "undated". "Nutrient Intakes and Food Choices of Infants and Toddlers Participating in WIC," Mathematica Policy Research Reports eddfeb032ce0424ea0e22745f, Mathematica Policy Research.
    2. Oliveira, Victor & Gundersen, Craig, 2000. "Wic And The Nutrient Intake Of Children," Food Assistance and Nutrition Research Reports 33803, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
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    6. Barrett, Christopher B., 2002. "Food security and food assistance programs," Handbook of Agricultural Economics, in: B. L. Gardner & G. C. Rausser (ed.), Handbook of Agricultural Economics, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 40, pages 2103-2190, Elsevier.
    7. Oliveira, Victor & Chandran, Ram, 2005. "Children'S Consumption Of Wic-Approved Foods," Food Assistance and Nutrition Research Reports 33853, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    8. Chib, Siddhartha & Hamilton, Barton H., 2002. "Semiparametric Bayes analysis of longitudinal data treatment models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 110(1), pages 67-89, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ishdorj, Ariun & Crepinsek, Mary Kay & Jensen, Helen H., 2012. "Children’s Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables: Do School Environment and Policies Affect Choice in School Meals?," 2012 AAEA/EAAE Food Environment Symposium 123534, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    2. Ariun Ishdorj & Mary Kay Crepinsek & Helen H. Jensen, 2013. "Children's Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables: Do School Environment and Policies Affect Choices at School and Away from School?," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 35(2), pages 341-359.
    3. 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.
    4. Christina Robinson, 2013. "Younger Siblings Can Be Good for Your Health: An Examination of Spillover Benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 34(2), pages 172-184, June.

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    • C40 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - General

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