Impacts of Increased Cash-Value Benefit on Inter Tribal Council of Arizona WIC Participants’ Program Utilization and Weight Outcomes

Start Date: June 2023

ID #: 283-5111

Principal Investigator: Punam Ohri-Vachaspati, PhD, RDN

Co-Principal Investigator: Emily Melnick, PhD, MPH

Organization: Arizona State University

Funding Round: ARPA2

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Systematic evaluations based on objective measures and longitudinal data are needed to demonstrate long-term impacts of the WIC fruit and vegetable cash value benefit (CVB) increases instituted in March 2021, especially among populations disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and experiencing high rates of food insecurity and barriers to WIC participation. This study will assess the impacts of increased CVBs on Inter Tribal Council of Arizona (ITCA) WIC program participant outcomes by examining associations between increased CVBs and participant benefit redemption and engagement, exploring how the increase in CVBs impacted the prevalence of obesity among child participants, and assessing how increased CVBs changed the delivery of nutrition education messages and ITCA WIC participant perceptions of the program.

Race/Ethnicity: American Indian, Latino(a) or Hispanic

States: Arizona, Tribal Nation

Keywords: COVID-19, Equity and disparities, Fruits and vegetables, Healthy weight, Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

Resource Type: Grant Summary

Focus Area: Nutrition Policy & Programs

Age Groups: Pregnant women, infants and toddlers (ages 0 to 2), Preschool-age children (ages 3 to 5)

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