This study investigated the differences between children ages 1 to 5 in the Texas WIC Program who had improved anemia statuses and those who did not. Non-improvers were more likely to be those children who were younger, who lived in families with four or more children, who ate fewer snacks, and who never ate dried fruits. More parents of non-improvers incorrectly believed that their child had improved.
This brief summarized two recent ERS-sponsored studies that provided new assessments of nutrient intakes of WIC children, income-eligible children not participating in the WIC Program, and children ineligible for WIC.
This paper evaluated the skepticism that WIC research failed to properly control for selection into the WIC Program, using rich data from the national Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System. The authors showed that relative to Medicaid mothers, all of whom were eligible for WIC, WIC participants were negatively selected on a wide array of observable dimensions, yet WIC participation was associated with improved birth outcomes.
Data from the Wisconsin Childhood Lead-Poisoning Prevention Program were analyzed to examine the distribution and trends in elevated blood lead levels among WIC-enrolled children from 1996 until 2000. According to the study, higher blood lead levels were seen among WIC-enrolled children. And, although statistically not significant, the rate that blood lead levels declined among WIC-enrolled children was greater than the rate among non-WIC-enrolled children.
Using data from the 2002 Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS), the researchers examines the nutrient intakes, foods consumed, and feeding patterns of infants and toddlers participating in WIC. Results found that infants enrolled in WIC were less likely to have been breastfed, compared with other US children. Significant numbers of WIC and non-WIC toddlers did not consume enough fruits and vegetables.
The authors' goal was to screen Indian children on the reservation who were participating in WIC and Head Start. researchers screened close to 100% of the young children on the Rocky Boy reservation. The average blood lead level for these Indian children, ages 1 to 5, was 2.4 micrograms/dL, which is not significantly different from that of children of the same age nationally.
The authors used data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to analyze the effect of the WIC Program and other factors on the health of US preschool children. Findings revealed that the WIC Program had a significant positive impact on the overall health of children. In particular, children in households participating in WIC were significantly more likely to be in excellent health.
This study analyzed birth outcomes and the cost of infant hospitalization at delivery for black and non-black Medicaid clients, in relation to their level of prenatal participation in the WIC Program. Based on the results, prenatal WIC participation was associated with lower Medicaid costs and better birth outcomes, particularly for blacks.
The researchers examines the availability of food stores for low-income women in Kansas and investigated whether food store availability was associated with obesity, using data from women participating in the WIC Program in Kansas. Most WIC recipients lived within 1 mile of a small grocery store, and there was an association of density of any type of food store with obesity in micropolitan areas.
This study evaluated the success of a WIC-based intervention on changing food and beverage intake, physical activity, and TV viewing of children ages 1 to 5. The intervention influenced TV watching and fruit intake and was particularly protective for children ages 2 and younger. The results provided evidence that WIC is an appropriate setting for health behavior interventions to prevent obesity.
