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WIC Participation

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program For Women Infants, and Children (WIC) Eligibles and Coverage-2000 to 2009: National and State-Level Estimates of the Population of Women, Infants and Children Eligibles for WIC Benefits

This report analyzed WIC eligibility. In 2009, a total of 15.075 million mothers and young children were eligible to enroll in WIC, a 6.4% increase in eligibility from 2008. Among children, WIC eligibility increased by 9.4% between 2008 and 2009. The weaker economy in 2009 increased the numbers of families with incomes below 185% of the federal poverty level. The majority of WIC-eligible infants and children lived in two‐parent families and in families with incomes below the federal poverty levels.

WIC Participation Patterns: An Investigation of Delayed Entry & Early Exit

Roughly half of infants born in the US receive WIC benefits. However, USDA statistics indicated that eligible pregnant women and children ages 1 to 5 were far less likely to participate in the WIC Program than were eligible infants and postpartum women. Research on the factors that influence the dynamics of WIC participation could inform outreach and targeting efforts so that vulnerable populations receive adequate exposure to the benefits of WIC participation.

The Impact of Prenatal WIC Participation on Infant Mortality and Racial Disparities

This study assessed the impact of WIC services on improving birth outcomes and reducing racial disparities. Results showed that the infant mortality rate (IMR) was lower for WIC participants than for non-WIC participants. For African Americans, the IMR of WIC participants was much lower than that of non-WIC participants. For whites, IMR and preterm birth rates were not improved by WIC participation.

Childhood Morbidities Among Income- and Categorically Eligible WIC Program Participants and Non-Participants

This research explored the associations between childhood morbidities among income-eligible and categorically eligible WIC participant and non-WIC participant groups in a diverse, nationally representative sample of children. According to the results, no significant differences were noted between child WIC participants and non-WIC participants in the following areas: asthma, respiratory illness, severe gastrointestinal illness, or ear infection diagnosis.

Dynamics of WIC Program Participation by Infants and Children, 2001 to 2003

This study analyzed the reasons for entry, exit, re-entry, and continuity of participation in the WIC Program. Most children entered the program as infants. Exit from the program was not linked to a particular age, and Medicaid-enrolled children were less likely to exit WIC early. Infants of the lowest-income families were more likely to continue participation as a child. These results could help inform clinic outreach strategies.