Latino

Concerns and Structural Barriers Associated with WIC Participation among WIC-Eligible Women

WIC-eligible women with unintended pregnancies and fewer social supports tend to participate in WIC, but those who experience more structural barriers are less likely to participate. Asian/Pacific Islander women may face specific challenges to WIC participation.

Breastfeeding Outcomes in Washington State: Determining the Effect of Loving Support Peer Counseling Program and Characteristics of Participants at WIC

The peer support counseling intervention improved breastfeeding duation and initation in the two trial clinics in Washington State. "The likelihood that women enrolled in WIC would initiate BF at Public Health Seattle and King County Clinics increased by 3%, whereas those in Catholic Health Initatives Franciscan Medical Group clinics increased by 6.8%. Women receiving services in smaller PHSKC clinics (n < 60 women) were likely to breastfeed their infants at >1 week."

A Smartphone App for Families With Preschool-Aged Children in a Public Nutrition Program: Prototype Development and Beta-Testing

CHEW, a smartphone app provides shopping tools, including barcode scanners and calculators to maximize the WIC benefit redemption rate. Testing found that the app was successful with WIC mothers with moderate levels of app usage.

Food- and Health-Related Correlates of Self-Reported Body Mass Index Among Low-Income Mothers of Young Children

Shopping practices to stretch food dollars, using community food assistance programs, and HFI correlated with heavier maternal BMIs; higher self-rated health corresponded to lower BMIs.

Purchases Made with a Fruit and Vegetable Voucher in a Rural Mexican-Heritage Community

This study suggests that economic incentives can contribute important nutrients to participants' diets and targeted vouchers provided by food assistance programs should continue to include culturally important foods and be aware of the cultural values of their participants.

Comparison of WIC Benefit Redemptions in Michigan Indicates Higher Utilization Among Arab American Families

About 12% of WIC families fully redeemed their benefits in March, 2012. Compared with non- Arab/non-Hispanic families, Arab American WIC families were significantly more likely to use all of their monthly WIC benefits, even after controlling for family characteristics.

Hospitalization: Are We Missing an Opportunity to Identify Food Insecurity in Children?

Recently hospitalized low-income children and girls had significantly greater odds of living in food insecure households. Of potentially eligible hospitalized children, 26.9% had not received Women, Infants, and Children benefits and 31.0% had not received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in the past year.

WIC Participation and Attenuation of Stress-Related Child Health Risks of Household Food Insecurity and Caregiver Depressive Symptoms

As stressors increased, child health risks increased. WIC participation attenuates but does not eliminate child health risks.

Associations Between Preterm Birth, Low Birth Weight, and Postpartum Health in a Predominantly Hispanic WIC Population

Many women exhibited postpartum risk factors for future adverse health events, including overweight or obesity (62.3%), depressive symptoms (27.5%), and no folic acid supplementation (65.5%). Most characteristics did not differ significantly between mothers of preterm infants and full-term infants or between mothers of low birth weight and normal birth weight infants.

Infant Mortality and Race in Kansas: Associations with Women, Infants, and Children Services

Differences in education levels between mothers affected infant mortality to a greater degree than WIC program participation alone in the analysis. The infant mortality rate for black and Hispanic mothers was lower for WIC program participants. The WIC program may be beneficial for reducing infant mortality racial disparities but program participation should be expanded to affect maternal health disparities at the population level