UAMS studies show importance of nutrition programs to improve infant and maternal health

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A recent study by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences shows how proper nutrition can ease food insecurity and infant mortality in the state.

University researchers said participation in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) is the second lowest in the nation for Arkansas at 35%. The national participation average from the program, which provides free healthy foods, breastfeeding support, nutrition education and other benefits, is 51%.

Researchers pointed out that, according to the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Arkansas ranks among the worst for maternal mortality and food insecurity.

Officials said in one study that researchers analyzed national WIC participation among various racial and ethnic groups. In another study, researchers interviewed bilingual community health workers from Arkansas, who are trusted members of their communities and help individuals and families access health and social services, to evaluate the barriers that community members face when accessing WIC benefits.

Researchers found that 40% of WIC-eligible participants in their nationwide study did not participate in the program, with eligible Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander women experiencing the lowest rate of WIC enrollment. Black and Hispanic women had the highest rates of WIC enrollment.

“Our Marshallese communities are truly fortunate to have access to programs like WIC, but its utilization remains low — largely because many of the food options offered are unfamiliar to our people,” said Philmar Mendoza-Kabua, a Marshallese project manager and nurse educator at the UAMS Institute for Community Health Innovation. “In most cases, our mothers only use WIC for infant formula.”

Mendoza-Kabua added that by adding more culturally familiar foods to the program that meet nutrition guidelines, outcomes for mothers and children would improve.

Researchers recommend strategies such as focused outreach to specific underserved communities, improvements in culturally appropriate food options and flexibility for individual food preferences, increased education about the types of food covered by WIC, and increased availability of those foods. Additionally, support is needed for overcoming logistical challenges, including language and transportation barriers.

To learn more about UAMS community health programs, visit CommunityHealth.UAMS.edu.