Newsletter
Contact
Nutrition policies govern many aspects of the food system impacting food choices and prices in outlets such as grocery stores, restaurants, and schools, thus affecting what we eat. Federal nutrition assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and the national school meal programs provide services to children and families with the goal to increase food security and reduce hunger. Research in this area includes evaluating the impacts of nutrition programs and policies on diet quality and overall health, as well as exploring innovative approaches to improve program reach, participation and implementation.
Research & Publications See all
October 2026
Cross-Sectional Evaluation of WIC Participation Status and Massachusetts Children’s Nutrition after the Cash-Value Benefit Increase
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) increased the Cash-Value Benefit (CVB) for fruits and vegetables in 2021. Although WIC participants reported increased purchasing, consumption, and variety of fruits and vegetables after the CVB increase, it is unknown whether this resulted in higher fruit and vegetable intake relative to nonparticipants. The More
October 2026
An Electronic Health Record-Based Intervention to Facilitate Primary Care Referrals to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children: Retrospective Cohort Study
This study evaluated responses to an electronic health record (EHR)-embedded federal nutrition program (FNP) participation screening and WIC referral tool implemented within 8 clinics during well-child visits for children younger than 5 years of age. Structured EHR data from July 2020 to October 2023 were extracted to summarize screening, referral acceptance, WIC enrollment outcomes, and More
September 2026
Remote Services, Benefits, and Program Retention Changes Among Young Children in WIC
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) improves health for young children with low household incomes, but it is underutilized after infancy due to program complexity and lower perceived value of benefits for participants aged 1 to 4 years. Increasing participants’ retention in WIC could be an important strategy for improving More
September 2026
Increases to WIC’s Cash-Value Benefit for Fruits and Vegetables and Higher Benefit Redemption
The cash-value benefit (CVB) in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) supports low-income households with young children to purchase fruits and vegetables. Our objective was to estimate whether the amounts households spent with the CVB increased after recent policy changes. In this natural experiment from 2017 to 2022 among 485 560 More