Notice2024-21453
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comments Request-Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Health Outcomes and Participant Experience (HOPE) Study
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Published
September 19, 2024
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentFood and Nutrition Service
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on this proposed information collection for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Health Outcomes and Participant Experience (HOPE) Study. This new information collection will provide the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) with current information about the population WIC serves, how well WIC services align with participants' needs, and how WIC influences participants' health outcomes. This information will help policymakers and program administrators address service gaps and reduce potential disparities in health outcomes.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 182 (Thursday, September 19, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 182 (Thursday, September 19, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76787-76793]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-21453]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comments Request--Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women,
Infants, and Children (WIC) Health Outcomes and Participant Experience
(HOPE) Study
AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA).
ACTION: 60-Day notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this
notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment
on this proposed information collection for the Special Supplemental
Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Health
Outcomes and Participant Experience (HOPE) Study. This new information
collection will provide the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and
Nutrition Service (FNS) with current information about the population
WIC serves, how well WIC services align with participants' needs, and
how WIC influences participants' health outcomes. This information will
help policymakers and program administrators address service gaps and
reduce potential disparities in health outcomes.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before November 18,
2024.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to the WIC HOPE Study Team, Office of
Policy Support, Food and Nutrition Service, USDA, 1320 Braddock Place,
Alexandria, VA 22314. Comments may also be submitted via email to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6c1f01420a02421b050f4204031c092c191f080d420b031a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="295a44074f47075e404a074146594c695c5a4d48074e465f">[email protected]</span></a> or by phone at 709-905-2732. Comments will also
be accepted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> and follow the online instructions for submitting
comments electronically.
All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the
request for Office of Management and Budget approval. All comments will
be a matter of public record.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information on
or copies of this information collection should be directed to the WIC
HOPE Study Team at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#17647a39717939607e74397f786772576264737639707861"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="681b05460e06461f010b460007180d281d1b0c09460f071e">[email protected]</span></a> or the current Contracting
Officer Representative for the study, Amanda Reat at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e0a18d818e8481ceb2858194a095938481ce878f96"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bbfad6dad5dfda95e9dedacffbcec8dfda95dcd4cd">[email protected]</span></a>, 709-905-2732.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Comments are invited on: (a) whether the
proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the
information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the
agency's estimate of the burden on the proposed collection of
information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions
that were used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity
of the information collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of
the collection of information on those who are to respond, including
use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other
technological collection techniques or other forms of information
technology.
Title: WIC Health Outcomes and Participant Experience Study.
Form Number: Not applicable.
OMB Number: 0584-NEW.
Expiration Date: Not yet determined.
Type of Request: New collection.
Abstract:
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and
Children (WIC) provides nutritious supplemental foods, nutrition
education and counseling, breastfeeding promotion and support, and
referrals to healthcare, social services, and other community providers
to pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, and infants and
children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk and in households with
a low income. As a preventive public health nutrition program, WIC aims
to improve the feeding practices, diet, and health of participants. The
first comprehensive national study assessing WIC participants, the WIC
Infant Feeding Practices Study (IFPS), began collecting data in August
1994 and followed infants from birth to age 1.\1\ The subsequent and
most recent study, the Infant and Toddler Feeding Practices Study-2
(ITFPS-2), began collecting data in 2013 and has followed children from
birth through age 9.
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\1\ Baydar, N., McCann, M., Williams, R., and Vesper, E. (1997).
Final report: WIC Infant Feeding Practices Study (for the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Food and Consumer Service). Seattle, WA:
Battelle, Centers for Public Health Research and Evaluation.
Available at: <a href="https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/WICIFPS.pdf">https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/WICIFPS.pdf</a>.
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WIC has experienced several notable changes since the last major
study was launched. WIC currently serves a more diverse population
using more modernized service delivery approaches, such as Electronic
Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards, online shopping, and virtual visits. WIC
has also aligned its nutrition education with the 2020-2025 Dietary
Guidelines for Americans (DGA) and invested in new breastfeeding
promotion and support resources, like the WIC Breastfeeding Support:
Learn Together. Grow Together. campaign. Additional substantial program
changes are forthcoming. For example, WIC has proposed changes to the
WIC food packages to better serve participants' dietary needs and
preferences and ensure equitable access to supplemental foods. WIC is
also investing in a national strategy to diversify the WIC workforce so
it mirrors the diversity of WIC families, culturally sensitive outreach
strategies to increase enrollment and retention rates, and technology
enhancements to streamline enrollment and provide a modern WIC
experience.\2\
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\2\ U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service
(USDA, FNS). (2024a, February 13). WIC modernization. Alexandria,
VA: Author. Available at: <a href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/modernization">https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/modernization</a>. Retrieved on: February 23, 2024.
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The WIC Health Outcomes and Participant Experience (WIC HOPE) Study
will provide the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and
Nutrition Service (FNS) with current information about the population
WIC serves, how well WIC services align with participants' needs, and
how WIC influences participants' health outcomes. This information will
help policymakers and program administrators address service gaps and
reduce potential disparities in health outcomes.
The five study objectives are: (1) conduct new data collection to
update the information in WIC IFPS-1 and WIC ITFPS-2 on the feeding
practices and behaviors of WIC infants and children, and compare and
contrast findings with previous studies; (2) describe participants' WIC
site experiences and engagement with WIC technologies such as text
messaging, mobile apps, online appointment scheduling, video calling,
online nutrition education, shopping assistance apps, and online
shopping tools; (3) assess the extent to which WIC benefits used by
participants (including food packages, nutrition education and
breastfeeding promotion and support, and referrals) are independently
associated with feeding practices, diet, and health over time; (4)
describe maternal diet, birth, and health outcomes from the pregnancy
and postpartum period throughout the study period; and (5) examine the
independent association between duration of WIC participation and diet
and health outcomes as well as nutrition security.
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WIC HOPE is a prospective cohort study that will follow a
nationally representative sample of mother-child dyads who enroll in
WIC prenatally or shortly after the child is born through the child's
fifth birthday. Pregnant women or caregivers of newborns will be
recruited through 80 WIC local agencies sampled from across the
country. The study will collect data on participants' experiences with
WIC, use of WIC benefits, feeding practices, diet, and health at
multiple points.
Because the study child is the focal member of the mother-child
dyad, mothers (i.e., caregivers) may change over the course of the
study, but the study child will remain the same. Based on data from the
ITFPS-2, we anticipate about 96 percent of caregivers will be the
child's mother throughout the study. Study participants will be
followed for the duration of the study regardless of their continued
participation in WIC. Capturing different patterns of WIC participation
over time will enable the comparison of study participants with
different durations of program exposure. However, because WIC HOPE does
not include a randomized comparison group of infants who did not enroll
in WIC, the study will examine relationships and associations between
program predictors and outcomes rather than establish causality.
Affected Public: Respondent groups identified include: (1)
individuals consisting of mother-child dyads (adult WIC participants
and their study child); (2) WIC State agencies; (3) WIC local agencies;
and (4) WIC sites.
Estimated Number of Respondents: The total estimated number of
respondents is 8,825 (8,093 responsive and 1,512 nonresponsive). This
includes 81 respondents for the pretest (81 respondents and 0
nonrespondents), composed of 9 WIC participants per data collection
instrument. The main study respondents include 8,130 WIC participants,
54 WIC State agency staff, 160 WIC local agency staff, and 400 WIC site
staff.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: Based on the
estimated 438,325 total annual responses (263,905 responsive and
174,420 nonresponsive) to be made by the 8,825 respondents, the study
team expects 50 responses per respondent. See Table 1 for the estimated
number of responses per respondent for each type of respondent. The
breakout follows:
WIC participants: The estimated number of responses per WIC
participant is 51 (32 per respondent and 115 per nonrespondent). For
the pretest, 81 WIC participants will be asked to participate in a
cognitive interview. For the main study, WIC participants will be asked
to respond to one study brochure; complete one screener; one study
consent; and one enrollment survey. After enrollment, they will be
asked to respond to 14 caregiver surveys and 5 maternal dietary recall
interviews, provide study child measurements at 7 points, and provide
contact information updates 2 times a year for 3 years. They will also
be asked to review upcoming survey notifications, study reminders,
child birthday cards, and caregiver birthday greetings.
WIC State agencies: The estimated number of responses per WIC State
agency participant is six. The WIC State agencies will be asked to
review one email from the Regional Office notifying them of the study
selection, attend one informational webinar, review one email from the
study to schedule a meeting, participate in one meeting to discuss
study implementation, and notify the WIC local agency of their study
selection.
WIC local agencies: The estimated number of responses per WIC local
agency participant is 12. WIC local agencies will be asked to review
one email from the WIC State agency notifying them of the study
selection, review the study factsheet, notify their sites of the study
selection, attend one training webinar, communicate with Westat
regarding WIC participant recruitment planning and implementation,
communicate with sites regarding WIC participant recruitment planning
and implementation, and assist with locating study participants.
WIC sites: The estimated number of responses per WIC site
participant is 57. WIC sites will be asked to review communications
from the WIC local agency regarding the study selection, participate in
an informational call, attend a training webinar, communicate with
Westat and sites regarding WIC participant recruitment planning and
implementation, introduce the study to the WIC participant, complete
the referral form, and take length/height and weight measurements of
study children.
Estimated Total Annual Responses: The estimated total number of
annual responses is 438,325. This includes 263,905 for respondents and
174,420 for nonrespondents.
Estimated Time per Response: The estimated average response time is
6.2 hours for all respondents (6.4 hours for responsive participants
and 1.4 hours for nonresponsive participants). The estimated time of
response varies from 0.50 minutes (0.008 hours) to 1 hour depending on
the respondent group and activity, as shown in Table 1. The average
estimated time per response across all respondents is 0.12 hours (equal
to 54,308 total annual burden hours for both respondents and
nonrespondents) divided by 438,325 (total responses for both
respondents and nonrespondents), as shown in Table 1.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: The total public
reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated at
54,308 hours (annually). See Table 1 for estimated total annual burden
for each type of respondent.
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P
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Tameka Owens,
Acting Administrator and Assistant Administrator, Food and Nutrition
Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-21453 Filed 9-18-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-C
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