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The Influence of WIC Changes on the Retail Food Environment in New Orleans
Author(s) -
Rose Diego,
Dunaway Lauren Futrell,
Dornelles Adriana,
O'Malley Keelia,
Bodor J. Nicholas,
Rice Janet C.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.25.1_supplement.98.5
Subject(s) - baseline (sea) , healthy food , business , food choice , agricultural economics , agricultural science , marketing , environmental health , food science , advertising , economics , medicine , environmental science , biology , pathology , fishery
Policy‐makers are increasingly interested in the issue of healthy food access, but little attention has been paid to how demand‐side policies could affect the food environment. This research, based on a natural experiment, examines whether changes to the WIC Program food package influenced the retail environment of food stores in New Orleans. Baseline measures in WIC (N=51) and non‐WIC (N=88) stores were taken in 2009, prior to implementation of the new food package. In‐store observations by trained enumerators included availability and prices of WIC foods, and shelf length measures of fruits, vegetables, and energy‐dense snacks. In‐store observations have just been repeated, a year after baseline, in the same stores. Among small stores at baseline, mean shelf length of fresh fruits and vegetables (13.6 ft) and sodas (45.9 ft) was greater in WIC stores than in non‐WIC stores (7.4 ft and 36.5 ft, respectively). The mean number of fruit and vegetable varieties was also higher in these WIC stores. These differences will be netted out when follow‐up data are incorporated into difference‐in‐difference models assessing store environment outcomes. The major change to the WIC food package in the fall of 2009 offers an important opportunity to understand the impact of a demand‐side policy on the food environment. Such studies are helpful for balanced decision‐making on how to improve food access.