Nutrition Policy Institute researchers will present their collaborative research findings at the American Society for Nutrition, Nutrition 2023 annual conference in-person in Boston, Mass. Alana Chaney, a University of California, Davis graduate student, will present a poster on July 22, 10:05 to 10:09 a.m ET titled “Newly Developed Infant Diet Quality Index (IDQI) Predicts Nutrient Outcomes in Young Children ages 2-5" as part of a Poster Theater Flash Session - Innovations in Infant, Pediatric, and Pregnancy Nutrition Research: New Tools and Methodologies. The poster is co-authored by NPI-affiliated researcher Lauren Au and Charles Arnold from UC Davis, Lorrene Ritchie from NPI, and Edward Frongillo from the University of South Carolina. Lauren Au will present a poster on July 23, 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. ET titled “Differences in infant diet quality by race and ethnicity predict differences in later diet quality.” The poster is co-authored by Charles Arnold and Sarina Lin from UC Davis, Lorrene Ritchie and Edward Frongillo. NPI's Sridharshi Hewawitharana will present a poster on July 24, 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. titled, "Student and School Characteristics Modify the Impact of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education on Student Dietary Outcomes.” The poster is co-authored by NPI's Kaela Plank, Amanda Linares and Gail Woodward-Lopez. 

A recent study conducted in California examined the impact of increased cash value benefits to purchase fruits and vegetables in the federal Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study, which focused on 1,700 families with low-income who had children aged 1-4, found that the increased benefits improved household food security, increased child fruit and vegetable consumption among children with inadequate intakes, and enhanced satisfaction with the cash value benefit amount. Before the pandemic, WIC families received only $9 to purchase fruits and vegetables for children, which provided less than one-fifth of the recommended amounts for this age group. The cash value benefit for children was temporarily increased to $35 per month from May to September 2021 and to $24 per month starting in October 2021. The study findings support continuation of the increased cash value benefit to support the nutrition and health of vulnerable young children. The study was published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Authors include Shannon E. Whaley, Christopher Anderson and Catherine Yepez from the Public Health Foundation Enterprises-WIC, Marisa Tsai and Lorrene Ritchie from the Nutrition Policy Institute at the University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Lauren Au from UC Davis Department of Nutrition. The research was funded by Healthy Eating Research, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

The first years of life present an optimal window to establish healthy eating behaviors and support childhood development. However, there are limited measurement tools to assess diet quality during infancy. Researchers at UC Davis and the Nutrition Policy Institute, created a novel Infant Diet Quality Index (IDQI) to assess diet quality using data on 2,858 infants from birth up to 12 months old from the WIC Infant and Toddler Feeding Practices Study. The IDQI consists of 16 components related to infant feeding, including, but not limited to: breastfeeding, age of first introduction of solids, and frequency of consuming fruit and vegetables. IDQI scores were predictive of diet quality and weight outcomes in U.S. children 2-4 years of age of low-income.The study published in The Journal of Nutrition, was authored by Dr. Lauren Au and Charles Arnold of the University of California, Davis, Department of Nutrition, Dr. Lorrene Ritchie of the Nutrition Policy Institute, and Dr. Edward Frongillo from the University of South Carolina, Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior. Research was supported by the National Heart, Lung, And Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R03HL154986 and the US Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture Hatch Project #CA-D-NTR-2689-H.

In a recent CNN article, Lauren Au, Assistant Professor at the University of California, Davis in the Department of Nutrition and an affiliated researcher with the Nutrition Policy Institute, shared her thoughts on the proposed changes to school nutrition standards. The United States Department of Agriculture has proposed new rules that would allow flavored milk in school but also place gradual limits on the added sugars and sodium in school foods and strengthen the Buy American requirements encouraging schools to use more locally grown food. Au was quoted in the article, “It's a step forward in terms of promoting healthy nutrition in schools. The reduction of added sugar is a big deal. Reducing added sugars for this age range is so important.” The article also cited Au's research, which she conducted during her time at NPI, which showed that children who eat meals at school ate more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and dairy, compared with those who ate at school less frequently. The article titled “Proposed changes to school lunches aim to reduce sugar and sodium, but flavored milk stays” was published on February 3, 2023. Au was also quoted in a The New York Times article on February 3 titled “Agriculture Dept. Proposes Limits on Sugar and Salt in School Meals.” The comment period for the proposed USDA rule is open through April 10, 2023.