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Tan, Yingxin: A Regional Comparison of Food Acquisition and Consumption Behavior of WIC Recipients in the United States

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Title: A Regional Comparison of Food Acquisition and Consumption Behavior of WIC Recipients in the United States

Name: Yingxin Tan

Major: Economics

School affiliation: School of Arts and Sciences

Programs: Aresty – RA Program

Other contributors: Aniya Ahmmed, Avani Gohil, Chantell Shalack, Sanjib Bhuyan

Abstract: This study will examine the effects of the WIC (Woman, Infants, and Children) program, which provides nutrition education and services, by measuring participants’ intake of nutrients and comparing them to USDA(United States Department of Agriculture) recommended dosages. We utilized multivariate statistical analysis, including descriptive statistics and regression models in order to identify the relationships between nutrient consumption and accessibility with variables such as education, employment, and age. We found that people in the southern region of the United States had significantly more access to vehicles than the northeast region and that education had a significant impact on access to a vehicle. We found that among WIC participants of the Northeast and South of the U.S., both groups did not meet the recommended USDA guideline for daily nutrient consumption for all nutrients besides sodium and that there is only a difference in consumption of calcium between these two sample groups. The importance of this study is to help provide information so that government institutions can place effective public policies related to health, nutrition and poverty alleviation that can better transform food purchasing decisions made by American consumers.