Factors that Influence Participants' Intention to Enroll and Retain in the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children in New Jersey.

Abstract

The WIC program coverage rate of eligible population is suboptimal despite the well-known positive health outcomes of participation. Various factors contribute to this trend. This study aimed to examine beliefs regarding the decision to stay on WIC held by clients using the theory of planned behavior. During May and June of 2023, clients of one WIC office (N = 727) in northern New Jersey participated in a cross-sectional survey. Participants completed an online survey in English or Spanish. In the questionnaire, respondents were asked to rate their degree of agreement to the statement that described intention, attitudes, subject norm and perceived behavioral control of staying on WIC behavior, and their respective underlying beliefs in addition to a set of demography questions. Descriptive analyses and regression analyses were performed to describe and determine most influential factors to the intention to staying on WIC, and the results were compared by program enrollment duration: less than one-year (n = 276) vs. one or more years (n = 451). Most respondents were Hispanic (93.4%) and stay-home mothers (63.8%). Subjective norm was most influential to the intention to staying on WIC as a whole (β=.460, p <.0001) and when compared by the duration of WIC enrollment. Future outreach efforts focusing on participants category could be effective to improve the participation rate. Continued efforts to modernize WIC services by offering online options to appointments, education, and shopping could be attractive to families to enroll and continue their engagement with the program.