Accessibility To Ethnic Food Stores Authorized by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in Washington State.

Abstract

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a U.S. federal nutrition assistance program that provides low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, infants, and children up to age 5 with supplemental foods, healthcare referrals, and nutrition education. At least 20% of participants of WIC in Washington state are immigrants. Information on how many WIC-authorized stores are ethnic stores, where immigrants could more readily access culturally preferred foods, is unknown. This study aims to assess the availability and distribution of WIC-authorized ethnic stores in Washington state, relative to the location of immigrant WIC-eligible populations. Data on the location of WIC-authorized stores, classified as ethnic or non-ethnic stores, were obtained from the Washington WIC Shopper mobile app. Sociodemographic information for each census tract was obtained from the American Community Survey 2017-2021. We estimated the distribution of, and distance to, WIC-authorized ethnic stores, compared across census tracts with high versus low proportions of foreign-born individuals and WIC-eligible children in Washington state. Almost 1/3 (29%) of census tracts in Washington state had WIC-authorized stores; 1.7% had WIC-authorized ethnic stores. Census tracts with high proportions of both foreign-born individuals and WIC-eligible children, compared with census tracts with low proportions, had more ethnic stores (14.5%) and shorter distances to them (3.0 km). Census tracts in Washington state with higher proportions of foreign-born individuals and WIC-eligible children had better physical access to WIC-authorized ethnic stores, though these stores are rare. Future research should explore barriers and facilitators for ethnic stores becoming WIC-authorized.