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Modernization of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program
Rationale and Overview of the THIS-WIC (Telehealth Intervention Strategies for WIC) Project
Wright, C., Adedze, P., Ammerman, A., Au, L., Barnosky, A., Blitstein, J., Castellanos-Brown, K., Cates, S., Chandra, M., Chui, K. K. H., Clarke, K., Economos, C., Fowler, M. L., Gualtieri, L., Kodur, B., Krupinski, E., Louder, D., Mande, J., Pardington, N., ... Hennessy, E. (2026). Modernization of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program: Rationale and Overview of the THIS-WIC (Telehealth Intervention Strategies for WIC) Project. Journal of nutrition education and behavior. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2026.04.007
OBJECTIVE: Describe the rationale and design for THIS-WIC, a large, multistate project to integrate telehealth into the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program for nutrition education and breastfeeding support service delivery.
DESIGN: Varied by the WIC state agency (1 group-randomized control trial, 4 quasi-experimental matched comparison designs, and 1 prepost design). Mixed-methods data collection, including surveys, interviews, the WIC Management Information System, telehealth metadata, and process and implementation.
SETTING: Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children local agencies (n = 68) in 7 states, including the District of Columbia, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
PARTICIPANTS: Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children clients, including pregnant and lactating postpartum women aged ≥ 18 years, infants, and children aged ≤ 5 years at participating agencies. Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children staff who are responsible for delivering nutrition education/breastfeeding support, and local agency directors at participating intervention agencies.
INTERVENTION(S): Telehealth interventions varied by state, including enhanced video conferencing and virtual services provided through customized online platforms and portals. Intervention duration ranged from 7 to 18 months.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children client satisfaction with telehealth.
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