THE MARYLAND-WIC 5 A DAY PROMOTION PROGRAM PILOT-STUDY - RATIONALE, RESULTS, AND LESSONS LEARNED

Although the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants , and Children (WTC) serves approximately 6.5 million participants nat ionwide, little research has been conducted to assess the effectivenes s of health promotion programs aimed at the prevention of chronic dise ases among its participants. Characteristics of the WIC program and th e population it serves present numerous challenges to successfully imp lementing such initiatives. This National Cancer Institute-funded stud y seeks to increase fruit and vegetable consumption among women enroll ed in WIC and women whose children are enrolled in WIC in Maryland. Ke y behavioral messages, motivators, and strategies tailored to the targ et population were identified first. The project tram then developed a multifaceted intervention program. To assess its effectiveness and to learn about potential logistical problems prior to initiating a large -scale intervention program, we conducted a pilot study in two interve ntion sites and one control site. The pilot study demonstrated problem s in client recruitment and participation. Both intervention sites sho wed small increases in fruit and vegetable consumption that were not s tatistically significant. Numerous lessons were learned, demonstrating the utility of conducting such a study prior to implementing a full-s cale intervention.