New study points to new ways to effectively combat military food insecurity

Bethesda, Md. – One in four service members experience food insecurity. To combat this statistic, Uniformed Services University (USU) researchers recently evaluated military perceptions of the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), in hopes of ultimately increasing access to nutritious food. According to their findings, published May 14 in Military Medicine, WIC is highly valued by those military families who utilize it, as it enables them to increase their consumption of healthy foods.  

Food insecurity – a lack of access to and choice of healthy food – is a global issue and has been a growing concern, especially since the pandemic. Among US homes with children under 18, food insecurity increased from 11 percent in 2018 to 38 percent in 2020. In a July 2022 Department of Defense report, 24 percent of active duty service members experienced food insecurity, which can impact not only readiness and recruitment, but also the wellness and military children and families. As part of continued efforts to support military families and increase food security, USU researchers sought to analyze perceptions of and engagement with WIC, an invaluable, underused resource that can increase food for families with children under age 5. 

Through the collaborative study, “Military Family Perspectives on Enrollment and Engagement in the WIC Program,” the researchers recruited a sample of military families who had applied for financial assistance for child care.  Participants completed an 18-question survey Among the 399 survey respondents, 25 percent were currently enrolled in WIC, and 39 percent were previously enrolled. Service members and their partners learned about WIC from a variety of sources, and there was no significant association between branch of service or rank and WIC enrollment. 

Forty survey participants participated in follow-up focus groups.  Analysis of focus group data revealed that military-specific factors create unique circumstances related to WIC engagement such as spousal unemployment, which increases financial insecurity and need for supplemental programs.  In addition, focus group data revealed that stigma impacts WIC program enrollment and engagement, and that the military leadership could support WIC enrollment and engagement through standardized or universal screening for WIC among service members as well as increasing education about the WIC program.  

“There are many unique circumstances related to military family life that create a profound need for programs addressing food support, such as WIC,” said Dr. Binny Chokshi, professor of Pediatrics and first author on the study. “To help engage these families in WIC, outreach should be rooted in broad efforts, not targeted to specific ranks, branches, or ages.” 

The researchers utilized the data gained from this study to inform an ongoing intervention at Fort Campbell, to increase service member enrollment in the WIC program.  They first utilized military rank pay scales and family size to determine which service members at Fort Campbell, which is located in Kentucky, are highly likely to be eligible for WIC, with community health workers then doing targeted outreach to these service members and their families to confirm eligibility and appropriately refer to a nearby WIC clinic for enrollment.  After initial outreach to families they estimate that approximately 8% of the soldiers on base would be WIC eligible, or approximately 2,400 service members.

The study was led by USU’s Department of Pediatrics in collaboration with Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Funding for the study was provided through a USU VPR Intramural Grant.

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About the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences: The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, founded by an act of Congress in 1972, is the nation’s federal health sciences university and the academic heart of the Military Health System. USU students are primarily active-duty uniformed officers in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Public Health Service who receive specialized education in tropical and infectious diseases, TBI and PTSD, disaster response and humanitarian assistance, global health, and acute trauma care. USU also has graduate programs in oral biology, biomedical sciences and public health committed to excellence in research. The University’s research program covers a wide range of areas important to both the military and public health. For more information about USU and its programs, visit www.usuhs.edu.