♦ State of California Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Supplemental Nutrition Program epidemiologic studies

WIC is a supplemental food and nutrition program for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women and children under age 5 facing nutritional risk. For 2008–09, Smith & Lehmann principal Erika Lehmann conducted an evaluation of WIC staff and participant attitudes toward breastfeeding and proposed changes in the WIC nutrition package. Project tasks included creating a stratified cluster sampling plan for a statewide telephone survey of WIC participants, designing surveys for telephone interviews of WIC staff and participants, analyzing quantitative and qualitative data, and writing reports. For 2009–10, Erika completed an analysis of survey results regarding WIC participant food choices for adults and children. Upcoming tasks include developing a statewide telephone survey of WIC participants regarding nutrition and food choices, comparing results with WIC’s 2007 nutritional survey, and writing reports for publication.