Concerns and Structural Barriers Associated with WIC Participation among WIC-Eligible Women.
Cindy H Liu, Heidi Liu
PMID 26956356WHAT IT FOUND
Hispanic and Black eligible women were more likely to use WIC, while transportation, clinic access, and other barriers were linked with lower use.
Ask about these barriers before assuming a family does not want help.
Key findings
0183.0% of eligible women participated in WIC, including 90.1% of eligible Hispanic women, 83.7% of eligible Black women, 75.0% of eligible Asian/Pacific Islander women, and 64.8% of eligible White women.
02After adjustment, eligible Hispanic and Black mothers were more likely to participate than eligible White mothers, while more structural barriers were associated with lower participation.
03Unintended pregnancy was associated with higher participation, while more social supports were associated with lower participation.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The results come from New York City only, so they may not apply elsewhere because WIC eligibility and enrollment vary by state. The data are from 2004 to 2007, before later WIC changes. Eligibility was inferred from survey answers about assistance programs, not from full income and nutritional-risk assessment. Women reported experiences after birth, and race/ethnicity groups were broad, so some subgroup experiences may be missed. The study used limited questions for social support, structural barriers, and unintended pregnancy. Multiple comparisons and small cell sizes could affect the results. The design cannot show that any factor caused WIC participation or nonparticipation.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these associations as proof that barriers caused nonparticipation or that WIC improves health outcomes. The study is cross-sectional and retrospective, and it did not test WIC's effects.