OSUTulsa WIC Program Yesenia Gomez NSCI 5373 December, 5 2002

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OSU-Tulsa WIC ProgramYesenia GomezNSCI
5373December, 5 2002
CHILDHOOD NUTRITION
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Topics

• Introduction to WIC
• WIC Eligibility Requirements
• WIC Food Package and Target Nutrients
• WIC Infant Formula Rebate System
• WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program
• Cost of WIC Program
• Conclusions

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Introduction to WIC

• Women Infants Children Program
• Definitions
• Background
• Scope
• Benefit

//www.fns.usda.gov/wic/
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Introduction

• Definition The Special Supplemental Nutrition
  Program For Women, Infants and Children known as
  WIC program was created in 1972 by an amendment
  to the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 in response to
  growing evidence of poor nutrition and related
  health problems among low-income infants,
  children, and pregnant women.
• WIC Program Function in
• WIC provides cash grants to support program
  operations at 88 state-level WIC agencies,
  including those in all 50 States, American Samoa,
  the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the
  U.S. Virgin Islands, and 33 Indian tribal
  organizations.

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Background

• Participation History - Nation In 1974, the
  first year WIC was permanently authorized, 88,000
  people participated. By 1980, participation was
  at 1.9 million by 1990 it was 4.5 million and
  by 2000 it was 7.2 million. In 2001, WIC served
  an average of 7.31 million participants per
  month. However, more than 7 million people get
  WIC benefits each month in the nation.
  Participation has increased gradually since the
  program began.

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Background

• Participation History - Oklahoma WIC
  participation growth plot for Oklahoma from 1977
  to 1997.
• The participations raised from less than 10,000
  to almost 40,000 in 5 years with growth rate of
  6,000 participants/year (1977 1983).
• After that, it dropped down and it remained
  almost constant during the years 1983 until 1989.
  A negative tendency is observed during 1990
  1991.
• However, after those years, Oklahomas WIC
  program came back with very strong growth rate of
  10,000 participant/year.

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Background

• Participation History - Oklahoma Recently,
  Oklahoma WIC Statistics by Carrie, C., 2002.
• As of July 31, 2001, shows that 22,680 women,
  23,833 infants and 42,026 children have
  participated with overall served around 88,539
  participants.
• A new computer system (OK-WIC) operational is
  implemented in 144 sites across the state.

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Background

• Participation History - Tulsa
• In September 2002, the Oklahoma State WIC Program
  served 4,323 infants and 7,606 children in Tulsa
  county. WIC tracks health risks for specific age
  groups.
• For infants and children in Tulsa county less
  than 24 months of age, 7.6 were at risk for
  weight/height less than or equal to the 10th
  percentile.
• UNDERWEIGHT For children age 2 to 5 years in
  Tulsa county, 5.3 were at risk for a BMI less
  than or equal to the 10th percentile.
• OVERWEIGHT For children ages 2 to 5 years in
  Tulsa county, 12.5 were at risk for a BMI
  greater than or equal to the 95th percentile

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Introduction

• Scopes The purpose of the program is to provide
  supplemental foods and nutrition education
  through payment of cash grants to state agencies,
  which administer the program through local
  agencies at no cost to eligible persons.
• The program is intended to serve as an adjunct to
  good health care during critical times of growth
  and development, also can help prevent medical
  and developmental problems.
• In addition, WIC was designed to supplement the
  Food Stamp Program and other programs that
  distribute foods to needy families.

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Introduction

• Benefits WIC program has been an important
  source of nutrition education, supplemental food,
  and health care referrals for low-income women
  during and after pregnancy and for infants and
  children up to age 5 years in the United States.
• Also WIC program decreases the incidence of iron
  deficiency anemia in children and contributed to
  reduce fetal deaths and infant mortality.
• Additionally, WIC help get children ready to
  start school children who receive WIC benefits
  demonstrate improved intellectual development.

• Breastfeeding promotion and support are important
  components of the WIC program. WIC is effective
  in improving the health of pregnant women, new
  mothers, and their infants.

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Topics

• Introduction to WIC
• WIC Eligibility Requirements
• WIC Food Package and Target Nutrients
• WIC Infant Formula Rebate System
• WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program
• Cost of WIC Program
• Conclusions

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WIC Eligibility Requirements

• Eligibility Criteria To qualify for WIC,
  applicants must be either
• pregnant woman, a non-breast-feeding women up to
  6 months postpartum
• breast-feeding woman up to 1 year postpartum
• infants under 1 year of age
• children up to the fifth birthday.
• The eligibility criteria for individuals include
  household income, state residency and
  individuals nutritional risk status.
• To meet WIC Program income requirements,
  applicants must have family income at or below
  185 percent of the U.S. poverty guidelines or
  participate in the Food Stamp, Medicaid, or
  Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
  Programs.

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WIC Eligibility Requirements
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WIC Eligibility Requirements

• Eligibility Criteria In addition to the income
  criteria, WIC participants must meet nutritional
  risk standards. Two major types of nutritional
  risk are recognized for WIC eligibility
• Medically based risk such as anemia, underweight,
  maternal age, history of pregnancy complications,
  or poor pregnancy outcomes are designated as
  high priority.
• Diet-based risk such as inadequate dietary
  pattern are rated as lower priority risk.
• Nutritional risk is evaluated by a health
  professional such as a physician, nutritionist,
  or nurse based on Federal guidelines. At a
  minimum, the applicants height and weight must
  be measured and blood test taken to check for
  anemia. This health screening is free to program
  applicants.

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Topics

• Introduction to WIC
• WIC Eligibility Requirements
• WIC Food Package and Target Nutrients
• WIC Infant Formula Rebate System
• WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program
• Cost of WIC Program
• Conclusions

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Food Package and Target Nutrients

• Food Package Most WIC participants receive
  checks, vouchers, or electronic benefits transfer
  (EBT) cards each month that allow them to
  purchase a monthly food package designed to
  supplement their diets.
• WIC provides foods that are high in target
  nutrients such as protein, calcium, iron, and
  vitamins A and C. These nutrients are frequently
  lacking in the diets of the programs low-income
  target groups, which may result in adverse health
  consequences.
• Dietary Products WIC foods include
  iron-fortified infant formula and infant cereal,
  iron-fortified adult cereal, infant and adult
  100 juices, vitamin C-rich fruit and vegetable
  juices, eggs, milk, cheese, peanut butter, dried
  beans, and peas. Tuna fish and carrots are
  additional to the enhanced food package for
  breast-feeding women whose infants are not
  receiving formula from WIC

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Food Package and Target Nutrients

• Target Groups There are seven WIC food packages
  designed for different target groups
• Package I is for infants 0 to 3 months old
• Package II for infants 4 up to 12 months old
• Package III for women and children with special
  dietary needs
• Package IV for children 1-4 years old
• Package V for pregnant and breast-feeding women
• Package VI for postpartum women who are not
  breast-feeding,
• Package VII for breast-feeding women whose babies
  do not receive formula.

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Topics

• Introduction to WIC
• WIC Eligibility Requirements
• WIC Food Package and Target Nutrients
• WIC Infant Formula Rebate System
• WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program
• Cost of WIC Program
• Conclusions

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Infant Formula Rebate System

• Infant Formula Mothers participating in WIC are
  strongly encouraged to breast-feed their infants
  if possible.
• However, state WIC Agencies will provide formula
  to mothers who choose to use it. WIC state
  agencies are required by law to have
  competitively-bid infant formula rebate contracts
  with infant formula manufacturers. This means a
  WIC state agency agrees to provide one brand of
  infant formula to its participants and in return
  receives money back, called a rebate, from the
  manufacturer for each can of infant formula that
  is purchased by WIC participants
• Cost-Effective Program The WIC Program gets back
  over a billion dollars each year from infant
  formula manufacturers. From October 2000 to
  September 2001, infant formula manufacturers gave
  nearly 1.5 billion back to WIC State agencies
  and this money was used to serve about 2.1
  million additional eligible women, infants and
  children .

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Topics

• Introduction to WIC
• WIC Eligibility Requirements
• WIC Food Package and Target Nutrients
• WIC Infant Formula Rebate System
• WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program
• Cost of WIC Program
• Conclusions

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Farmers Market Nutrition Program

• FMNP The Congress established the WIC FMNP in
  July 1992. This program provides additional
  coupons to WIC participants, which they can use
  to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at
  participant farmers markets. Operated in 35
  States, including the District of Columbia, Guam
  and 4 Indian Tribal Organizations
• Program Goals
• Improve the diet and health of WIC participants
  who are at nutritional risk
• Supplement the income of small farmers.

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Topics

• Introduction to WIC
• WIC Eligibility Requirements
• WIC Food Package and Target Nutrients
• WIC Infant Formula Rebate System
• WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program
• Cost of WIC Program
• Conclusions

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Cost of WIC Program

• Congress Grant The number of women, infants, and
  children who can participate in WIC each year
  depends on the annual appropriation by Congress
  and the cost of operating the program
• Cost Comparison
• WIC program cost 10.4 million in 1974
  727.7 million in 1980 1.5 billion in 1985
  2.1 billion in 1990 and 3.9 billion in 1999.
• However, WIC accounts for almost 12
  percent of total Federal Government expenditures
  for food and nutrition assistance.
• In the year 2002, Congress appropriated
  4.387 billion for WIC and this funding includes
  10 million for the WIC Farmers Market Nutrition
  Program

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Participation-Growth Analysis

• Hispanic Participation As can be seen from
  participation growth plot per states. Even
  though, there are not enough reports about
  different race participation in WIC program
  available.
• Larger Growth Rate of Participation are Present
  in States with High Population Density of
  Hispanic Communities as Comparing with Others
  States with lower Hispanic Ratio
• One Can Say that Hispanic Families has taking
  benefit of this successful program.
• From Personal Observation as WIC Volunteer
  Confirm High Participation of Hispanic Families
  in Tulsa, as well.

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Conclusions

• Conclusions
• The outcome of the studies performed by the FNS
  and non-government agencies conclude that WIC has
  become one of Americas most successful and
  cost-effective nutrition intervention programs.
• Since its foundation, the WIC program has gained
  the position of becoming one of the most primary
  federally funded nutrition programs in the U.S. A
  collection of researched evidence, revised
  information, and up to date reports show the cost
  effectiveness of the WIC Program by protecting
  and improving the health/nutritional status of
  women, infants and children of low income means.

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Conclusions

• Final Remarks
• The final remarks of the importance of the WIC
  program is that alongside of providing health
  care and supplemental food for women, infants and
  children, it has also been an important source of
  education.
• WIC has demonstrated the power of education and
  the information to reach and encourage low-income
  parents to participate in the program (as it is
  demonstrated by statistics).
• The nutritionist role during this process is to
  inform and educate parents about WIC program and
  explain to them the importance of the health
  benefits that a good nutrition at early age can
  offer, beside of the economic reimbursement to
  the family, as well. Stimulating program for
  breastfeeding during pregnancy.

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References

• Blair B, Davidson D, Dembeck C, Robb K, Kauffman
  T. Bushs Request--Agency by Agency, Federal
  Times, 2002 38 10.
• American Academy of Pediatrics. WIC Program.
  Pediatrics, Nov2001, Vol. 108 Issue 5, p1216, 2p
• Bogo J. The Whole Package. The Environmental
  Magazine. 2000 11 22.
• Carrie, Ceman Oklahoma State Department of
  Health, WIC Program, personal communication,
  2002.
• Oliveira V, Gundersen C. WIC Increases the
  Nutrient Intake of Children. Food Review. 2001
  24 27.
• Henchy G, Weill J, Parker L. WIC in the States
  Twenty-Five Years of Building a Healthier
  America. September 1, 1999.
• Robertson RE. Food Assistance WIC Faces
  Challenges in Providing Nutrition Services, FDCH
  Government Account Reports, 2001.
• US General Accounting Office, Early
  Intervention Federal investments Like WIC Can
  Produce Savings, Document HRD 92-18, Washington,
  D.C., April 1992.

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• Questions?