The information in this resource is intended only to provide educational information. This profile describes the estimated benefits, activities, resources, and leadership needed to implement a strategy to improve child health. This information can be useful for planning and prioritization purposes.
- Incorporating television time counseling into required Special Supplemental Nutrition program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) certification visits among WIC participants with children ages 2-4 through the inclusion of relevant assessment items within the existing screening assessment tools regularly used by WIC clinical staff.
What population benefits?
Children ages 2-4 who participate in the WIC program.
What are the estimated benefits?
Relative to not implementing the strategy
Reduce child daily television time which can help promote healthy child weight.
What activities and resources are needed?
| Activities | Resources | Who Leads? |
| Coordinate planning and delivery of virtual training and educational materials for WIC clinicians and monitor program status | • Time for National WIC Coordinator to coordinate and monitor the program | National WIC Coordinator |
| Develop virtual training and educational materials for WIC clinicians | • Time for national WIC agency staff to develop virtual training and educational materials | National WIC Agency Staff |
| Add relevant assessment items to measure television viewing within tools, tracking, and monitoring systems regularly used by WIC clinicians | • Time to update database, tools, and tracking systems | State WIC Agency Information Systems Staff |
| Train WIC clinicians in using relevant screening tools and motivational interviewing techniques | • Time for state WIC agency staff to prepare for and deliver trainings • Time for state WIC clinicians to attend trainings |
State WIC Program Staff |
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Kenney EL, Mozaffarian RS, Long MW, Barrett JL, Cradock AL, Giles CM, Ward ZJ, Gortmaker SL. Limiting television to reduce childhood obesity: cost-effectiveness of five population strategies. Child Obes. 2021 Oct;17(7):442-448. doi: 10.1089/chi.2021.0016.
Selected CHOICES research brief including cost-effectiveness metrics:
Adams B, Sutphin B, Looney R, Rollins N, Balamurugan A, Kim H, Bolton A, Reiner J, Barrett J, Gortmaker SL, Cradock AL. Arkansas: Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Television Time Reduction {Issue Brief}. Arkansas Department of Health, Little Rock, AR, and the CHOICES Learning Collaborative Partnership at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; May 2021. Available at: https://choicesproject.org/ publications/brief-wic-st-arkansas
- Browse more CHOICES research briefs & reports in the CHOICES Resource Library.
- Explore and compare this strategy with other strategies on the CHOICES National Action Kit.
Suggested Citation
CHOICES Strategy Profile: Counseling in WIC Visits to Reduce TV Viewing. CHOICES Project Team at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; August 2023.
Funding
This work is supported by The JPB Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U48DP006376). The information provided here is intended to be used for educational purposes. Links to other resources and websites are intended to provide additional information aligned with this educational purpose. The findings and conclusions are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or other funders.
Adapted from the TIDieR (Template for Intervention Description and Replication) Checklist