Published: July 2023

Journal: J Nutr Educ Behav

Authors: Firoozi R, Weeks HM, Ludwig-Borcyz E, Clayson M, Zawistowski M, Needham B, Bauer KW

See more related research

Share


This study examined beverage intake among families with low income by household participation in federal food assistance programs. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in fall/winter 2020 via an online survey. Participants were mothers of young children insured by Medicaid at the time of the child’s birth (N = 493). Mothers reported household federal food assistance program participation, later categorized as Supplementation Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) only, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP) only, both WIC and SNAP, and neither. Mothers reported beverage intake for themselves and their children aged 1-4 years. After accounting for sociodemographic differences between groups, mothers from households participating in WIC and SNAP consumed sugar-sweetened beverages and bottled water more frequently than mothers from households in neither program. Children from households participating in WIC and SNAP also consumed soda more frequently than children in either program. Few differences in intake were observed for mothers or children participating in only WIC or SNAP vs both programs or neither program. Households participating in both WIC and SNAP may benefit from additional policy and programmatic interventions to limit sugar-sweetened beverage intake and reduce spending on bottled water.

Related Research

November 2025

Informing equitable implementation of SNAP food restriction waivers

SNAP is the largest federally funded nutrition assistance program in the U.S., providing support to more than 40 million Americans. This study aims to provide tangible information, insights, and resources grounded in SNAP participants’ preferences and feedback to support the implementation and communication of SNAP Food Restriction waivers, minimizing barriers to SNAP participation and benefit More

November 2025

Forecasting WIC funding needs: Supporting families, strengthening access

WIC serves more than 50% of all infants born in the U.S. The goal of this study is to build a forecasting model to estimate national WIC funding needs under various policy and economic conditions through fiscal year 2027. The model will also be designed to allow for updates to forecast funding needs for future More

September 2025

Food Insecurity-Related Stigma Among Adults in the United States: A Scoping Review

This review aimed to characterize individual- and structural-level stigma associated with government (ie, SNAP, WIC) and emergency food program (ie, food banks, pantries, cupboards, soup kitchens) utilization in the US. 5 databases (PubMed, PsychINFO, Web of Science, CINAHL, Sociological Abstracts) were searched in June 2024. The review included peer-reviewed articles (January 2004 – June 2024), More