Emily Duffy PhD, MPH, RD, Shu Wen Ng PhD, Maxime Bercholz MA, Cassandra Davis PhD, Molly De Marco PhD, Marissa Hall PhD, Joanna Maselko PhD, Lindsey Smith Taillie PhD
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides nutritious foods to more than six million low-income families in the US. In June 2021, WIC substantially increased the amount of money provided for fruits and vegetables (FV), but studies have not investigated changes in WIC participant FV purchases after the increase using food purchase data.
Objective
Estimate the association between the FV funding increase and WIC shoppers’ FV purchases.
Study Design, Settings, Participants
This study used longitudinal food purchase data from 496 stores in a grocery store chain in North Carolina between June 2020 and April 2022. A propensity score weighted difference-in-differences (DID) approach was used to estimate the effect of the FV benefit increase among WIC shoppers (n=536,349 shopper-month observations) relative to non-WIC comparison shoppers (n=1,894,056 shopper-month observations) matched on pre-benefit change shopping patterns.
Measurable Outcome/Analysis
Primary outcomes were monthly dollar expenditures and ounces purchased of WIC-eligible fruits, nutrient-dense vegetables, and starchy vegetables. Secondary outcomes included unique varieties of FV purchased and ounces purchased of processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages. Propensity-score weighted two-part models and zero inflated negative binomial models were used to estimate the association between the FV funding increase and monthly food purchases.
Results
WIC shopper WIC-eligible FV purchases increased by $12.4 per shopper per month (Confidence Interval (CI), $12.0 to $12.9) after the CVB increase, which was $9.3 (CI, $8.7 to $10.0) more than non-WIC shoppers. The volume and unique varieties of FV purchased also increased more among WIC shoppers relative to non-WIC shoppers (DID 67.1 ounces (CI, 61.9 to 72.3) and DID 2.1 varieties (CI, 2.0 to 2.3)). There were also increases in the volume of processed foods (DID 22.0 ounces (CI, 17.2, 26.9)) and sugar-sweetened beverages (DID 49.1 ounces (CI, 33.4, 64.9)) purchased among WIC shoppers.
Conclusions
Increased WIC FV funding was associated with greater FV purchases among WIC shoppers. These results can inform permanent changes to the FV component of the WIC food packages.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior (JNEB), the official journal of the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior, is a refereed, scientific periodical that serves as a global resource for all professionals with an interest in nutrition education; nutrition and physical activity behavior theories and intervention outcomes; complementary and alternative medicine related to nutrition behaviors; food environment; food, nutrition, and physical activity communication strategies including technology; nutrition-related economics; food safety education; and scholarship of learning related to these areas.
The purpose of JNEB is to document and disseminate original research and emerging issues and practices relevant to these areas worldwide. The Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior welcomes evidence-based manuscripts that provide new insights and useful findings related to nutrition education research, practice and policy. The content areas of JNEB reflect the diverse interests in nutrition and physical activity related to public health, nutritional sciences, education, behavioral economics, family and consumer sciences, and eHealth, including the interests of community-based nutrition-practitioners. As the Society''s official journal, JNEB also includes policy statements, issue perspectives, position papers, and member communications.