Abstract: Nutrition education services provided by state and local agencies participating in the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) are described in this report prepared for USDA as part of the WIC Participant and Program Characteristics Study. An introduction identifies components of the WIC nutrition education program (goals, form, contact, implementation, outcomes) and provides background information on the study design, methodology, data collection, and analysis. The state agency's role in nutrition education (policies, staff, materials, training, technical assistance, expenditures) and the provision of nutrition education services to participants (policies, staff, materials, sessions, constraints) are described.

Participant characteristics associated with receiving nutrition education (participant category, benefits, demographic characteristics, health status characteristics) and program characteristics associated with nutrition education outcomes (session length, site characteristics, staff characteristics, constraints) are discussed. The report presents descriptive information on the WIC nutrition education program, but does not attempt to assess program quality of effectiveness.