Pandemic-Era WIC Participation in Wilmington, Delaware: Participants’ Experiences and Challenges

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Author(s)Halverson, McKenna M.
Author(s)Karpyn, Allison
Date Accessioned2023-03-31T13:34:23Z
Date Available2023-03-31T13:34:23Z
Publication Date2023-01-19
DescriptionThis article was originally published in Nutrients. The version of record is available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15030520
AbstractSpecial Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) participants faced unprecedented challenges during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic including financial concerns, a national infant formula shortage, and rising food costs. To mitigate these challenges, the United States Department of Agriculture implemented WIC program waivers and flexibilities aiming to simplify program operations (e.g., remote appointments and food package substitutions). However, little is known about WIC participants’ perceptions of these changes and their impact on in-store benefit redemption. As such, this study aimed to characterize how pandemic-related events impacted Delaware WIC participants’ shopping experiences and program perceptions. The authors conducted semi-structured interviews with 51 WIC participants in Wilmington, Delaware. Survey measures included demographic questions, the Hunger Vital Sign, and open-ended questions regarding WIC program participation experiences during the pandemic. Data were analyzed using a hybrid inductive and deductive coding approach. The results demonstrate that WIC participants benefitted from the pandemic program’s flexibilities. However, they continued to experience burdensome shopping trips as well as concerns about their ability to feed their families due to infant formula shortages and inflation. These findings indicate the importance of extending existing WIC flexibilities and providing continued support for both participants and WIC-authorized retailors.
SponsorThis paper/research was supported by Healthy Eating Research, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Publication fees were supported by Healthy Eating Research, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. We acknowledge the support of our community partners, ShopRite and the HER NOPREN WIC Learning Collaborative for assistance with study conceptualization and data collection and interpretation.
CitationHalverson, McKenna M., and Allison Karpyn. 2023. "Pandemic-Era WIC Participation in Wilmington, Delaware: Participants’ Experiences and Challenges" Nutrients 15, no. 3: 520. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15030520
ISSN2072-6643
URLhttps://udspace.udel.edu/handle/19716/32611
Languageen_US
PublisherNutrients
KeywordsWIC
KeywordsCOVID-19 pandemic
Keywordsinfant formula shortage
Keywordsinflation
Keywordsbenefit redemption
Keywordsfood insecurity
Keywordszero hunger
TitlePandemic-Era WIC Participation in Wilmington, Delaware: Participants’ Experiences and Challenges
TypeArticle
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