Infant Feeding Practices: The Impact of WIC Policy Changes on Rural and Urban Participants

Hongyang Di, Ariun Ishdorj and Lisako McKyer

No 266723, 2018 Annual Meeting, February 2-6, 2018, Jacksonville, Florida from Southern Agricultural Economics Association

Abstract: The 2009 WIC Program policy changes were designed to improve breastfeeding rates and health outcomes of WIC participants. Existing research in this area found that participants shifted towards healthier eating behavior after the changes in WIC food packages. However, little is known about the effect of these changes on the rural participants. Using the data from the National Food and Nutrition Survey (NATFAN), we examined the effects of the revised WIC food packages on breastfeeding among WIC participants in rural and non-rural areas, and food deserts. Our findings show that WIC participants were more likely to choose fully breastfeeding package after the revisions in WIC. Furthermore, we found that participants who were Hispanic, with lower degrees of education, living in the Southern region of the United States were less likely to choose full breastfeeding package. Overall, a greater proportion of rural participants utilized full breastfeeding package than non-rural participants.

Keywords: Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety; Health Economics and Policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 16
Date: 2018-01-17
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:saea18:266723

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.266723

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