Households using more of the most popular WIC food benefits stay in the program longer, UW study finds

UW News

New research has found that households who redeem more of their benefits in the most popular food categories are more likely to remain in the program long-term. Assistant Professor Pia Chaparro is first author on the study published in JAMA Network Open. “Finding ways to identify kids and families that are at risk of dropping out of the program is of high importance,” said Chaparro. “That’s basically what we’ve identified — a way to flag families who may be at risk of dropping off.”

December 15, 2025