A new study by Heluna Health’s PHFE WIC research and evaluation team and colleagues at School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University and Nutrition Policy Institute at University of California published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior found that children of families participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) drink fewer sugary beverages the longer they participate in the program. Children of families who participated in WIC for two years showed a 5% lower rate of sugary drink intake than those who participated for only one year. That may not seem like a lot, but these results compound quickly. For those who participated in the program for five years, there was a 14% decrease in sugary drink intake in children. After ten years, children consumed 19% less sugary drinks than children of families who only participated for one year.
The findings of this new study suggest that the education WIC provides encourages families to drink less sugary beverages. Access the research article via Science Direct here: Longer Family Participation in WIC is Associated With Lower Childhood Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake
