BIO

Hi! My name is Cara, and I'm from Tampa, FL. I'm a Nursing major and I hope to become a Nurse Practitioner in Women's health in the future. I am interested in research in Women's health and making Women's health more equitable in our community.

Examining the Factors that Limit the Participation of Eligible Mothers in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

Abstract

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a program that strives to protect the wellness of low-income mothers and their young children who are unable to meet their necessary nutritional needs. This program has proven to be extremely beneficial for those who utilize WIC services, but often women who are eligible for the program’s benefits do not participate in WIC services. The purpose of this study is to explore what factors may cause eligible women to be unable or unwilling to participate in WIC services in their community. We will recruit postpartum mothers (N=100) from ages 18-40 years who have given birth in the last 6 months. A portion of these mothers will be WIC eligible. From that subsample, we will determine the number of mothers eligible, but not currently receiving WIC services from the North-Central Florida community. Data will be collected through both quantitative and qualitative methods, to determine reasons mothers are not utilizing WIC services. It is anticipated that factors such as prenatal care receival, marital status, race, and housing will contribute to the lack of participation by eligible mothers in WIC services, and we predict that these factors will be the conclusive reason as to why eligible women do not receive WIC services. Through our research, we hope to explain what factors restrict WIC program participation in eligible households. By better understanding what factors limit or decrease participation, we can better the attainability and availability of WIC services to eligible women.

Keywords: WIC, Mother, Infant