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Dietary Risk Assessment in the WIC Program
for a summary of WIC eligibility requirements). The categorical and nutrition risk categories provide a means to prioritize individuals based on health risk and the potential to benefit from the program. Such prioritization is necessary when funding is not sufficient to provide benefits to all who meet the categorical and income eligibility requirements. In recent years, funding has been sufficient to eliminate essentially all waiting lists. However, if prioritization were necessary because of limited funding, services would be offered according to a seven-level priority system (Box 1-2).
NUTRITION RISK CRITERIA
Nutritional risk is composed of five broad categories: anthropometric, biochemical, clinical/health/medical, dietary, or other. Each of these categories contains
BOX 1-2 WIC Priority System
Priority
I
Pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and infants at nutritional risk as demonstrated by hematological or anthropometric measurements, or other documented nutritionally related medical conditions which demonstrate the need for supplemental foods.
II
Except those infants who qualify for Priority I, infants up to 6 months of age born of program participants who participated during pregnancy, and infants up to 6 months of age born of women who were not Program participants during pregnancy but whose medical records document that they were at nutritional risk during pregnancy due to nutritional conditions detectable by biochemical or anthropometric measurements or other documented nutritionally related medical conditions which demonstrated the person’s need for supplemental foods.
III
Children at nutritional risk as demonstrated by hematological or anthropometric measurements or other documented medical conditions that demonstrate the child’s need for supplemental foods.
IV
Pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and infants at nutritional risk because of an inadequate dietary pattern.
V
Children at nutritional risk because of inadequate dietary pattern.
VI
Postpartum women at nutritional risk.
VII
Individuals certified for WIC solely due to homelessness or migrancy and, at State agency option, and in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (e)(1)(iii) of this section, previously certified participants who might regress in nutritional status without continued provision of supplemental foods.
