WIC: Women Infants and Children

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WIC Women Infants and Children

• The Importance of WIC Its Impact on Individuals
  and Our Community

Photo from http//www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/wic/
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Outline

• What is WIC?
• What are the benefits of WIC to an individual
  and/or community?
• What is the communitys role in WIC?

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• What is WIC?

Photo from http//www.co.la-crosse.wi.us/health/n
utrition/docs/wic_program.htm
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History

• Created by Congress
• To address widespread hunger and poverty
• A federal grant program-Congress authorizes
  funding each year
• Made permanent in 1974
• Provides
• Quality nutrition education and services
• Support breastfeeding promotion and education
• A monthly food prescription (package).
• Access to maternal, prenatal, and pediatric
  health-care services

Sources USDA and National WIC Association
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Who does WIC serve?

• Target Populations low income, nutritionally at
  risk
• Pregnant Women
• Breastfeeding Women
• Non-breastfeeding postpartum women
• Infants
• Children up to their 5th birthday
• Eligibility
• Income level less than or equal to 185 of the
  poverty level
• Individual is at a nutritional risk

Source National WIC Association
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What benefits do Women, Infants, and Children
Receive?

• Health and nutrition screening
• Nutrient-dense WIC foods for growth and
  development
• Nutrition Education to help achieve healthy
  growth and development
• Breastfeeding education and support
• Benefits
• Women
• Infants
• Children

Insert photo from community here
Source Wisconsin Department of Health
Services-Benefits Received by WIC Participants.
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National Data

• In 2007, over 50 of all infants born in the
  United States were in WIC (National WIC
  Association)
• In 2008, average WIC family size was four
  (National WIC Association)

Poverty Level Income Level
0 0
1-50 224-11,175
51-100 11,399-22,350
101-150 22,574-33,525
151-185 33,749-41,348
Source National WIC Association
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Savings in Health Care

• WIC attempts to reduce preterm births
• WIC creates 44,482 dollars in SAVINGS
• 1.00 Spent 2.20 Saved
• SAVES Money
• Creates Nontax Revenues

Source National WIC Association
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State Data

• Wisconsin
• 2008 WIC Participants
• Pregnant/Postpartum Women 60,601
• Infants 40,763
• Children age 1-4 102,426
• Total Participants 203,790
• In 2008, 6,096 teenage births

Source Wisconsin Department of Health
Services-2008 Profile for Wisconsin
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Local Data

• Eau Claire City-County
• Overall county health ranking 19th
• 2008 WIC Participants
• Pregnant/Postpartum Women 1,093
• Infants 729
• Children 1,912
• 81 teenage births

Sources County Health Rankings and Wisconsin
Department of Health Services-2008 Profile for
Eau Claire County
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Local Data
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• What are the benefits of WIC to an individual
  and/or community?

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Society Benefits of WIC

• WIC participants decrease other health care costs
  
• Children are more likely to do well in school
• Keeps Kids Safe

Source National WIC Association
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WIC Encourages Healthy Behaviors

• Breastfeeding
• Healthy eating
• Exercise
• Decrease overweight/obesity levels

Insert Photo from own WIC Program
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Eau Claire City-County
Baby Breastfed (Not exclusively) Percent Rank in State
Ever 72.4 24th (376/520)
At least 6 months 24.2 22nd (61/252)
At least 12 months 10.7 32nd (41/375)
Source 2010 PedNSS
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Percentage of WIC infants breastfed at least 6
months by race and ethnicity
Year 2010 Target 50
Source PedNSS 2010 PowerPoint
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Percent of WIC Infants Breastfed at 12 months by
race and ethnicity
Year 2010 Target 25
Source PedNSS 2010 PowerPoint
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Trends in the Percent of WIC Infants Ever
Breastfed, and Breastfed at least 6 and 12 months
Source PedNSS 2010 PowerPoint
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Value of Food Packages

• WIC Check
• Food package
• Value of a food package

Example photo Use community photo
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Prevalence of Obesity among WIC Children Age lt5,
by age
Source PedNSS 2010 PowerPoint
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Trends in Prevalence of Obesityamong WIC
Children Age lt5, by Race and Ethnicity
Source PedNSS 2010 PowerPoint
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Prevalence of Obesityamong WIC Children Age lt5
years, by region
Source PedNSS 2010 PowerPoint
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Food Insecurity Data

• In 2006, more than 1 in 10 American households
  (11.3) had very low food security
• In 2007, 51 of WI WIC households/families
  identified with low food security
• In 2007, 15 of WI WIC households/families
  identified with very low food security
• In 2007, 48 of 495 respondents reported very low
  security in Eau Claire County (Insert
  your county name and data here)

Source Nutrition Physical Activity Section
WIC Program, Bureau of Community Health
Promotion, Division of Public Health, Wisconsin
Department of Health and Family Services
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• What is the Communitys Role
• in WIC?

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How can communities support WIC and WIC-enrolled
families?

• Promote and encourage WIC participation
• Support WIC breastfeeding efforts by helping to
  maintain local coalitions
• Ensure consistent practices and policies between
  organizations for breastfeeding support
• Support WIC and health departments leadership
  roles in nutrition coalitions to improve the
  health and nutrition environment in which WIC
  families live, eat, work, and play

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What can you do as a board?

• Enact policy and environmental initiatives that
  support healthy eating and active living
• Partner with a variety of local agencies to
  leverage resources to achieve greater impact
  (i.e. Planning Dept, Economic Redevelopment
  Agency, Parks Recreation Dept.)
• Set feasible short and long term goals to address
  your community's unique needs
• Measure your communitys performance and adjust
  goals as necessary

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Eau Claire City-County Programs/Coalitions

• Northwestern Wisconsin Breastfeeding Network
• Energize Eau Claire County
• Prenatal Visits
• WIC Program

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Example Eau Claire, WI

• Goal
• Increase access to affordable healthier foods
• Change
• WIC food package changes
• Veggin Out at Farmers Market
• Outcome
• Created an incentive program for WIC clients to
  shop at local farm markets
• Fruit and vegetable vouchers in addition to
  Farmers Market vouchers
• Local farmers and vendors earn income

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WIC Fits into the Bigger Public Health Picture

• Local Impact-Creates a healthier community!
• WIC is a Cornerstone
• Targets children families
• Agency networks for program and client centered
  services
• Staff are recognized as nutrition experts in the
  community
• Helps meet National Objectives
• Healthy People 2020
• Assists with State Health Plan Goals
• Healthiest WI 2020

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Healthiest Wisconsin 2020
Focus Area Adequate, Appropriate, and Safe Food
and Nutrition
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Healthiest Wisconsin 2020

• By 2020
• People in Wisconsin will eat more nutritious
  foods and drink more nutritious beverages through
  decreased access to sugar-sweetened beverages and
  other less nutritious foods, and through
  supported, sustained breastfeeding.
• All people in Wisconsin will have ready-access to
  sufficient nutritious, high quality, affordable
  foods and beverages.
• Wisconsin will reduce disparities in obesity
  rates populations of differing races,
  ethnicities, sexual identities and orientations,
  gender identities, and educational or economic
  status.

Source Appropriate, Adequate, and Safe Food and
Nutrition (Focus Area Profile)
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• Thank You!
• Questions ?
• Comments ?

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• RESOURCES

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Local Obesity Nutrition Data

• USDA Food Environment Atlas
• Your Food Environment Atlas
• Access and proximity to grocery stores
• Availability of food stores/restaurants
• Farm to school programs
• Recreation and fitness facilities per 1000
  population
• Demographics Race/ethnicity, income,
  poverty rate

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Local Obesity Nutrition Data

• Wisconsin Interactive Statistics on Health (all
  counties module)
• Wisconsin Behavioral Risk Factor Survey
• Adult overweight and obesity
• Lack of physical activity
• Chronic disease / overall health

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Local Obesity Nutrition Data WI Department of
Health Services

• Wisconsin WIC Website (WICPRO)
• WI WIC and Nutrition Data
• PedNSS Reports Infants and Children (ages 2-4)
• Breastfeeding initiation, duration, exclusivity
• LBW, HBW, Premature Birth
• Overweight obesity (measured)
• Screen time gt 2 hours/day
• PNSS Reports Moms
• Pre-pregnancy overweight or obesity
• Weight gain during pregnancy (compared with
  ideal)
• Hypertension during pregnancy
• Gestational diabetes

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State-level Obesity Nutrition Data CDC

• National Survey of Childrens Health (youth under
  18 by parental report)
• National Survey of Children's Health
• Weight status, physical activity, nutrition
• Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
• Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
• Adult prevalence trends for weight status,
  health risk behaviors
• Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity State
  Legislative Database
• State Leg. Research Action to Prevent Obesity

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Works Cited

• Benefits of Breastfeeding. Retrieved from
• http//www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/benefits-of-
  breastfeeding
• CDC. 2010 Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance
  System PowerPoint
• Slides Retrieved from http//www.dhs.wisconsin.g
  ov/wic/WICPRO/data/PedNSS/index.
• htmdata
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  (2011, Mar 11).
• Overweight and Obesity Health Consequences.
  Retrieved from
• http//www.cdc.gov/obesity/causes/health.html
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  (2010). 2010 Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance
• Wisconsin. Retrieved from http

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Works Cited
County Health Rankings. (2011). Eau Claire,
Wisconsin. Retrieved from http//www.countyheal
thrankings.org/wisconsin/eau-claire/find- progra
ms-and-policies Focus Area Strategic Team.
(2009). Adequate, Appropriate, and Safe Food and
Nutrition Focus Area Profile). Retrieved from
http//www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/hw2020/pdf/nutri
tion.pdf National WIC Association. (2011). WIC
For a Healthier, Stronger America!. Nutrition
Physical Activity Section WIC Program, Bureau of
Community Health Promotion, Division of Public
Health, Wisconsin Department of Health and
Family Services ( 2007, Nov). Food Security in
the Wisconsin WIC Population, January, 2007.
Retrieved from http//www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/wi
c/WICPRO/data/foodsecurity.pdf
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Works Cited

• USDA. (2009, Nov). WIC The Special Supplemental
  Nutrition Program for
• Women, Infants and Children. Retrieved from
• http//www.fns.usda.gov/wic/WIC-Fact-Sheet.pdf
• Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
• (2010, July 12). Public Health Profiles 2008
  Profile for Eau Claire County.
• Retrieved from
• http//www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/localdata/pdf/08pubh
  lth/eauclaire08.pdf
• Wisconsin Department of Health Services. (2010,
  July 12). Public
• Health Profiles 2008 Profile for Wisconsin.
  Retrieved from
• http//www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/localdata/pdf/08pubh
  lth/wisconsin08.pdf

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Works Cited

• Wisconsin Department of Health Services. (2011,
  June 14). Benefits
• Received by WIC Participants. Retrieved from
• http//www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/wic/benefits.htm