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Improving Food Assistance to Women and Children

Award Number: F31HD121363
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/01/2026
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/30/2028

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Improving Food Assistance to Women and Children - PROJECT SUMMARY Food insecurity has detrimental effects on individual and community health. Individuals who are food insecure have worse diet quality, and in turn, greater risk for developing diet-related diseases (e.g., type 2 diabetes). This is especially concerning for children, as proper nutrition is essential for their growth and development. Louisiana has the fourth highest prevalence rate of food insecurity in the U.S, and low-income individuals and households with children carry a disproportionate burden of food insecurity and related health outcomes. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is one of the U.S.’s largest federal interventions aimed at reducing food insecurity risk. WIC is a means-tested program that provides eligible individuals (pregnant, postpartum, and children up to age 5) with a food package to support their nutritional needs. Research has shown that WIC participation is associated with improved food security and related health outcomes. Despite national, state, and local efforts to improve program retention, many WIC participants leave the program prematurely. In Louisiana, a southern U.S. state with high prevalence rates for food insecurity, only 21.6% of eligible children participate in WIC. Satisfaction with WIC services has been identified as a primary driver of program retention, yet few studies have examined correlates of satisfaction. The 2024 revisions to the WIC food package provide a novel opportunity to conduct research aimed at characterizing factors related to WIC satisfaction. Set to be implemented in April 2027, these revisions aim to align the WIC food package with the 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and accommodate cultural and dietary needs. Informed by the Practical, Robust Implementation and Scalability Model (PRISM) framework, the proposed F31 will conduct a pre-implementation evaluation of the 2024 WIC food package revisions in Louisiana. This mixed-methods study will be accomplished by completing three aims. Semi-structured in-depth interviews with WIC participants (n = 20) and administrative/clinical staff (n = 20) in New Orleans will be thematically analyzed using PRISM constructs to identify factors related to the food package’s impact on program satisfaction and household food security (Aim 1). Multivariable regression analyses will be used to test associations between participants’ satisfaction (n = 500) with each change to the WIC food package and select individual (e.g., dietary needs), and household (e.g., food insecurity) factors (Aim 2). Finally, spatial data will be used to assess the relationship between select neighborhood factors (e.g., distance to a WIC- authorized retailer) and satisfaction with the changes to the WIC food package (Aim 3). Completion of these aims will provide insight into factors related to implementation outcomes as outlined by PRISM. Assessing the 2024 WIC food package revisions prior to their implementation in Louisiana will yield important insights useful for guiding implementation and can inform future legislation aimed at improving WIC satisfaction and retention.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $36,724 )
2026	2026	THE ADMINISTRATORS OF TULANE EDUCATIONAL FUND	6823 SAINT CHARLES AVE	NEW ORLEANS	LA	70118	ORLEANS	USA	Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research	000	1	3/25/2026	NEW	$36,724
2026	2026	THE ADMINISTRATORS OF TULANE EDUCATIONAL FUND	6823 SAINT CHARLES AVE	NEW ORLEANS	LA	70118	ORLEANS	USA	Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research	001	1	3/25/2026	NEW	$0
														Subtotal = $36,724

Grand Total All Awards = $36,724

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Improving Food Assistance to Women and Children

Award Number: F31HD121363

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/01/2026

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/30/2028

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