In the rural Southeastern US, these geographic, income, and race/ethnicity groups often intersect and overlap, contributing to a potentially greater risk of inadequate fruit and vegetable intake. Across the US, structural factors such as high cost and disparate physical access to fruits and vegetables as well as divestment in communities make it more challenging for children living in rural areas, in households with low incomes, and from historically marginalized racial/ethnic groups to meet fruit and vegetable intake recommendations. Consumption of fruits and vegetables, especially nutrient-dense varieties, is often lower among children living in rural households and households with low incomes and children from historically marginalized racial or ethnic groups. Fruits and vegetables are key sources of nutrients commonly under-consumed by young children in the US, and they reduce the lifetime risk of chronic health conditions. A nutritionally adequate diet in early childhood is key for optimal physical and cognitive growth and development.
The CVB increase may improve fruit and vegetable intake, particularly if made permanent, but barriers to CVB and WIC benefit use may limit the potential impact.Ĭonsuming a sufficient amount and variety of fruits and vegetables in early childhood is critical to forming lifelong health-promoting dietary habits. Participants felt the CVB increase allowed their families to eat a wider variety of fruits and vegetables. Facilitators of CVB use were existing household preferences for fruits and vegetables and the variety of products that can be purchased with CVB relative to other components of the WIC food package. Barriers were more pronounced in rural groups.
Barriers to using the increased CVB were identifying WIC-approved fruits and vegetables in stores and insufficient supply of fruits and vegetables. Participants expressed favorable perceptions of the CVB increase and stated the pre-pandemic CVB amount was insufficient. We open-coded the content and used thematic analysis to uncover consistencies within and between sampled groups. Focus groups were recorded and transcribed. We conducted 10 virtual focus groups (5 rural, 5 urban/suburban) with WIC participants ( n = 55) in North Carolina in March 2022.
We sought to understand WIC participant perceptions of this change and barriers and facilitators to using the CVB. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Cash Value Benefit (CVB) for fruits and vegetables increased by roughly USD 25/month/person.
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