Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Many disadvantaged communities lack a full-line grocery store, which decreases the availability of healthy foods, and may contribute to health disparities in low-income populations. One national discount variety store chain (DVS) that is often located in low-income neighborhoods became an authorized vendor in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) in 10 pilot stores. The objective of this study was to evaluate how implementing WIC in DVS pilot stores affected sales of healthy, WIC-eligible foods. The second objective was to examine differences by tender type (WIC, SNAP, credit, cash). METHODS: We used DVS sales data and a differences-in-differences design to evaluate how WIC authorization affected sales of WIC-eligible foods in DVS pilot stores, compared to matched control stores. Differences in sales patterns by tender type was also investigated. Third, an Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model was used to assess time trends. RESULTS: Preliminary results indicate that becoming a WIC vendor significantly increased sales of healthy, WIC-eligible foods that DVS carried before authorization. Results remain significant while controlling for area demographics and retail competition. CONCLUSIONS: Authorizing DVS stores to accept WIC benefits has the potential to increase the availability of healthy foods in low-income neighborhoods. If WIC-authorization is financially viable for small format variety stores, encouraging similar, small format variety stores to become WIC-authorized has the potential to improve food access. FUNDING SOURCES: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.