Impact of policy changes on infant feeding decisions among low-income women participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.
OBJECTIVE
We present infant feeding data before and after the 2009 Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food package change that supported and incentivized breastfeeding. We describe the key role of California WIC staff in supporting these policy changes.


METHODS
We analyzed WIC data on more than 180,000 infants in Southern California. We employed the analysis of variance and Tukey (honestly significant difference) tests to compare issuance rates of postpartum and infant food packages before and after the changes. We used analysis of covariance to adjust for poverty status changes as a potential confounder.


RESULTS
Issuance rates of the "fully breastfeeding" package at infant WIC enrollment increased by 86% with the package changes. Rates also increased significantly for 2- and 6-month-old infants. Issuance rates of packages that included formula decreased significantly. All outcomes remained highly significant in the adjusted model.


CONCLUSIONS
Policy changes, training of front-line WIC staff, and participant education influenced issuance rates of WIC food packages. In California, the issuance rates of packages that include formula have significantly decreased and the rate for those that include no formula has significantly increased.
Public Health Foundation Enterprises Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children program, Irwindale, CA 91706, USA. shannon@phfewic.org
Shannon E
SE
Whaley
Maria
M
Koleilat
Mike
M
Whaley
Judy
J
Gomez
Karen
K
Meehan
Kiran
K
Saluja
D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D063105:Food Assistance; D006291:Health Policy; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007224:Infant Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D041943:Infant Formula / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*