Status of Recent and Ongoing Studies 
Funded by WIC

• WIC/CHIP Enrollment Demonstration Project
• National Survey of WIC Participants and Their Local Agencies
• Adolescent WIC Participants
• WIC General Analysis Project (GAP)
• Survey of Public Health and Community Nutrition Workforce
• NAS/CNSTAT WIC Eligibles Methodology Review
• Fit WIC Projects
• WIC Special Projects Grants - FY 2000
• WIC Special Projects Grants - FY 2001
• WIC Special Project Grants - FY 2002

The Indiana Department of Health in conjunction with FNS is conducting a demonstration project for identification and enrollment of children in the Medicaid Program and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The Indiana Department of Health will conduct enrollment in Hoosier Healthwise, a Medicaid/CHIP Program, for approximately two years in about 20 WIC clinics. Each site will receive up to $10,000 each fiscal year for the project. This demonstration project will evaluate the feasibility and costs of using WIC clinics to identify and enroll eligible children in Medicaid and CHIP.

The demonstration project studies the:

• Number of children enrolled in Medicaid/CHIP
• Income levels of families enrolled
• Cost of enrollment activities
• Effect of enrollment of activities on WIC clinic operations and caseloads
• Other factors that are not yet determined by FNS

Start Date: April, 2001
Interim Report: Will be available in the near future.
Completion Date: September 2004

Name of Contractor: Abt Associates Inc.

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National Survey of WIC Participants and Their Local Agencies

This study has conducted multiple interview and/or questionnaires with WIC clients and is examining that information in the context of their local agencies’ operating policies. The study will examine participant characteristics not available through WIC management information systems. It will also provide information on program participant incomes compared to local agency income eligibility standards and will determine the magnitude of income misreporting.

Start Date: September 1996

Completion Date: Fall 2001

Name of Contractor: Abt Associates Inc.

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The Adolescent WIC Participants project describes WIC’s benefits and services through the perception of adolescent WIC participants. This project is in light of the fact that pregnant teens and/or adolescent mothers may have different needs than other WIC participants.

Start Date: September 1995

Completion Date: Summer 2001

Name of Contractor: Research Triangle Institute

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GAP is an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity task order contract that enables FNS to issue task orders in response to policy relevant analytic needs that arise during the course of the contract. GAP tasks may include analysis of extant data, meta-analysis, small data collections, expert reviews of policy and methodology. The GAP project uses extant data from various sources including WIC Program and Participant Characteristics (WIC-PC) studies; the 1988 National Maternal and Infant Health Survey (NMIHS); the National Health and Nutrition Survey – III (NHANES-III); the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP); and the Current Population Survey (CPS). This contract spans three years over which task orders may be placed and completed. The maximum amount that may be spent under this contract is $3,000,000.

FNS has funded the following projects:

Eligible Estimation Issue paper (Mathematica Policy Research Inc.): This task produced a paper that summarized the approaches to estimate persons eligible for and likely to participate in the WIC program. Key data and analytical issues related to WIC eligible estimation were identified for further review. Areas of expertise relevant to evaluating USDA’s methodology were also identified. The results of this review were presented in a format suitable for use in a panel discussion. Congress and OMB have been briefed on the findings of this report.

Participant Characteristics Monograph Series (Abt Associates Inc.): Monographs will be produced on two topics: Native Americans and overweight children. Each monograph will include a profile of the sociodemographic characteristics, risk profiles and health care usage patterns of the relevant group of participants. These reports will be based primarily on data available in the biennial participant characteristics datasets. The reports will be suitable for both technical and non-technical audiences and are intended for wide public distribution, including publication in professional journals.

WIC and Children (Abt Associates Inc.): The final report presents detailed analyses of the experience of children participating in WIC. Extant data from the following sources was used: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES-III), the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) and the Comprehensive Child Development Project (CCDP2). These analyses examine demographic and income characteristics, nutritional and health status, dietary intake information, health care utilization, home and family characteristics, the dynamics of participation and program participation. The final report has been released.

http://www.fns.usda.gov/oane/MENU/Published/WIC/FILES/profile_wic_children.htm

http://www.fns.usda.gov/oane/MENU/Published/WIC/FILES/profile.pdf

Start Date:August 1998

Completion Date:August 2001

Name of Contractors: Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., Abt. Associates Inc. & Rand Corporation

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The Association of State and Territorial Public Health Nutrition Directors (ASTPHND) in cooperation with FNS, is conducting a survey of public health nutritionists to monitor trends in education and training, work experience, areas of practice and training needs. ASFPHD has conducted similar surveys periodically beginning in 1985. Overall, data was collected on nearly 11,000 public health nutritionists, 90 percent of whom work in WIC. The final report will assist FNS in determining the extent to which current and future workforces have the necessary requirements to carry out the WIC Program.

Start Date: September 1998

Completion Date: Fall 2001

Name of Contractor: ASFPHD

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The National Academy of Sciences has reviewed and critiqued the current WIC eligibles estimation methodology, conducted literature reviews in relevant fields, and is in the process of preparing a report summarizing the results of their review and offered preliminary recommendations. Depending on the results and recommendations from this review (Phase I), USDA may choose to exercise an option for a second phase. The second phase would include arriving at consensus on one or more alternatives for USDA policy consideration, testing the alternatives, analyzing the results, preparing the report and disseminating the findings.

Start Date: September 2000

Completion Date: Summer 2001

Name of Contractor: Committee on National Statistics, National Academy of Sciences

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The Fit WIC Projects were three-year projects to look at ways that WIC policies, practices and operations might be changed to make the program more responsive to the problem of childhood obesity.  Participating states considered the impact of issues such as staff training, case management, food policies, nutrition education, promotion of physical activity and other areas on the program's effectiveness in addressing childhood obesity.  Grants were awarded to California, Kentucky, Vermont, Virginia, and the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona.  The five grantees worked collaboratively with FNS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and each other.  California was the lead state for the project and will facilitate data collection and report writing for the project.

The first year of the project involved a needs assessment of the environment and procedures within participating WIC clinics and how those environments and procedures could be utilized to address the problem of childhood obesity.  Based on the results of the baseline assessment each state developed an action plan that was implemented and refined within participating WIC clinics during the next two years of the project.  As part of the project, grantees will develop an implementation guide that will be applicable to the diverse populations served by WIC and be useful to the variety of WIC clinic settings and models.  The Fit WIC implementation manual is available on the WIC Works website: http://www.nal.usda.gov/wicworks/Sharing_Center/statedev_FIT.html

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In FY 2000, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) awarded grants to 6 state agencies to support Special Projects Grants. The money was divided between two sets of projects: 1) full grant awards for three years; and 2) one year concept paper awards to enable states to develop promising concepts into viable grant proposals in the following year. In consultation with the National Association of WIC Directors (NAWD) and State Agencies, FNS adopted a new focus area for Special Projects: "Revitalizing Quality Nutrition Services – RQNS".

The FY 2000 WIC Special Projects are three-year projects that look at ways to revitalize quality nutrition services at the State Agency level. Participants focus on issues such as nutrition education, parenting skills, and staff training at the State and local level. The State Agencies that received FY 2000 funds and their areas of study are as follows:

The FY 2000 Concept Paper grants provide State Agencies with funds to develop a concept into a full grant proposal for FY 2001, addressing the RQNS theme. The three concept papers awarded in FY 2000 were:

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WIC Special Project Grants - FY 2001

In FY 2001, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) awarded grants to six State agencies to support Special Project Grants.  The money was divided between two sets of proposals: 1) full grant awards for three years and 2) one year concept paper awards to enable State agencies to develop promising concepts into viable grant proposals in the following year.  These projects again focus on the Revitalizing Quality Nutrition Services (RQNS) topic.

1) WIC RQNS Special Projects

The FY 2001 WIC Special Projects are three-year projects that look at ways to revitalize quality nutrition services at the State agency level.  Participants focus on issues such as nutrition education, parenting skills and staff training.  The State agencies that received FY 2001 funds and their areas of study are as follows:

 2)  Concept Paper Development

The FY 2001 Concept Paper grants provide State agencies with funds to develop concepts into a full grant proposal for FY 2001, addressing the RQNS theme.  The concept papers awarded for FY 2001 were:

WIC Special Project Grants - FY 2002

In FY 2002, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) awarded WIC Special Project Grant funding for:  1) full grant awards for up to three years; and 2) one year concept paper awards to help States to develop promising concepts into viable grant proposals.  The focus area for these Special Projects continues to be “Revitalizing Quality Nutrition Services in WIC (RQNS).”

1) WIC RQNS Special Project Grants

The FY 2002 WIC Special Projects look at ways to revitalize quality nutrition services at the State agency level.  Grant recipients focus on areas such as nutrition education, parenting skills, improving access to WIC Program services, and staff training at the State and local level.  The State Agencies that received FY 2002 funds and their area of study are as follows:

 2)  Concept Paper Development

The FY 2002 Concept Paper grants provide agencies with funds to develop a concept into a full grant proposal for FY 2003, addressing the RQNS theme.  The concept papers awarded for FY 2002 were:

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