Research Project: Water insecurity among families participating in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Supplemental Nutrition Program in Louisiana
At a Glance
Research Area
Water Insecurity | Maternal and Child Health | Nutrition | Climate and Health
Location
Louisiana
Funding
Carol Lavin Bernick Faculty Grant, Tulane University
Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS), University of Alabama at Birmingham
Tulane Faculty
Shalean Collins, PhD, MPH, RD | International Health & Sustainable Development (PI)
Katherine P. Theall, PhD | Epidemiology and Social, Behavioral, and Population Sciences (Primary Mentor)
Felicia Rabito, PhD, MPH | Epidemiology (Mentor)
Tiong Gim Aw, PhD | Environmental Health Sciences (Mentor)
Status
Active 2026–2028 (anticipated)
Project Highlights
- First statewide assessment of household water insecurity among participants in Louisiana's WIC program
- Survey data from more than 3,000 families
- Focus on the first 1,000 days of life, from pregnancy through a child's second birthday
- Evidence to inform WIC programming, public health practice, and policy
Project Details
Overview
Household water insecurity, the inability to reliably access and use sufficient, safe, and acceptable water, is increasingly recognized as an important determinant of health, yet it has received far less attention than food insecurity in the United States. This project is the first statewide assessment of household water insecurity among participants in the Louisiana Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Supplemental Nutrition Program. It focuses on the first 1,000 days of life, from pregnancy through a child's second birthday.
Why This Matters
Safe, reliable, and affordable water is essential for drinking, food preparation, hygiene, infant feeding, and healthy child development. The first 1,000 days are one of the most critical periods for lifelong health and development, and families need reliable access to safe water during that time.
Our Approach
The research team is pursuing the following goals.
- Estimating the prevalence of water insecurity and identifying geographic hotspots across Louisiana.
- Examining how water insecurity affects infant feeding, caregiving, and household well-being.
- Identifying the social, infrastructural, and environmental factors that place families at greatest risk.
- Integrating quantitative survey data with caregivers' lived experiences.
Potential Impact
By combining survey data with caregivers' lived experiences, the project will generate evidence to inform WIC programming, public health practice, and policies that ensure families have reliable access to safe water.
Key Achievements
- Statewide survey data from more than 3,000 families were presented in a talk and poster hybrid session at the American Society for Nutrition annual conference in July 2026.
Student Engagement
This project will provide many opportunities for students who are interested in learning how to analyze maternal and child health data for action and communication to policymakers.
Research Partnerships
Tulane University
- Tulane WSPH Department of International Health & Sustainable Development
- Tulane WSPH Department of Epidemiology
- Tulane WSPH Department of Social, Behavioral, and Population Sciences
- Tulane WSPH Department of Environmental Health Sciences
Academic Partners
- Northwestern University, Department of Anthropology (Sera L. Young, MA, PhD)
Funding Partners
- Carol Lavin Bernick Faculty Grant, Tulane University
- Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS), University of Alabama at Birmingham
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