Infant Nutritition and Food Security
Infant Nutrition and Food Security
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Assessment
What are effective strategies that have been identified to improve food security among Women, Infants and Children (WIC) populations?
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Conclusion
14 studies (eight cross-sectional studies, three retrospective cohort studies, one prospective cohort study, one validity study, and one non-randomized controlled trial) evaluated various strategies to determine their effectiveness in improving food security among Women, Infants and Children (WIC) populations with varying socio-economic status, racial/ethnic groups or geographic locations.
Tailoring the intervention to the culture and language of the target population was a key feature of effective programs.
Characteristics of effective interventions included the following:
Methods
- Addressing poverty-associated food insecurity early in life and eating patterns that stem from childhood food deprivation (may be associated with prevention of adult obesity)
- Using WIC to provide age-appropriate food and nutritional advice and to improve access to the health care system
- Actively marketing WIC to eligible families, including families from health disparities populations
- Participation in the WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition program
- Policy decisions incorporating awareness of food security issues, including the likely impact on child health of sanctioning welfare benefits/food assistance
- Participation in the Food Stamp Program (FSP)
- Adding fresh fruits and vegetables to the WIC package
- Provision of subsidies for fresh fruits and vegetables at grocery stores and Farmers’ Markets
- Provision of counseling and education to families at risk for food insecurity, including gardening education
- Collaboration with community-based agencies and organizations in regard to emergency feeding programs and community gardening initiatives
- Providing nutrition education regarding the importance of dietary variety
- Focus groups to develop and validate tools to measure and describe food insecurity
- Advocacy for improvement of local employment and job availability
- Psychological counseling to address psychological issues associated with food insecurity.
Providers
- WIC program staff
- Head Start staff
- Trained bilingual focus group moderators.
Frequency and Duration
A variety of frequencies and duration were effective, including one-time encounters and ongoing interventions lasting six months.
Settings
- FSP offices
- WIC clinics
- Schools located in low-income areas
- Community programs serving low-income families and individuals
- WIC Program offices
- Farmers’ Markets
- Hospitals
- Health Clinics
- Pediatric Care clinics
- Community schools
- Food banks
- Early intervention programs
- Head Start programs.
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Grade: I
- Grade I means there is Good/Strong evidence supporting the statement;
- Grade II is Fair;
- Grade III is Limited/Weak;
- Grade IV is Expert Opinion Only;
- Grade V is Not Assignable.
- High (A) means we are very confident that the true effect lies close to that of the estimate of the effect;
- Moderate (B) means we are moderately confident in the effect estimate;
- Low (C) means our confidence in the effect estimate is limited;
- Very Low (D) means we have very little confidence in the effect estimate.
- Ungraded means a grade is not assignable.
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Conclusion