Publication Date
12-1-2023
Journal
American Journal of Public Health
DOI
10.2105/AJPH.2023.307525
PMID
38118087
PMCID
PMC10733870
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
12-1-2023
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Post-Print
Published Open-Access
yes
Keywords
Infant, Pregnancy, Child, United States, Humans, Female, Pandemics, COVID-19, Ethnicity, Hawaii, White
Abstract
Objectives. To evaluate the effect of COVID-19 on Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) receipt among pregnant individuals overall and by race/ethnicity.
Methods. We measured changes in WIC receipt among Medicaid-covered births (n = 10 484 697) from the US National Center for Health Statistics Natality Files (2016–2022). Our interrupted time series logistic model included a continuous monthly variable, a binary post-COVID variable, and a continuous slope shift variable. We additionally fit separate models for each race/ethnicity relative to White individuals, using interaction terms between the time series variables and race/ethnicity.
Results. We found decreases in WIC receipt (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.899; P < .001) from before COVID (66.6%) to after COVID (57.9%). There were larger post-COVID decreases for American Indian/Alaska Native (AOR = 0.850; P < .001), Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander (AOR = 0.877; P = .003), Black (AOR = 0.974; P < .001), and Hispanic (AOR = 0.972, P < .001) individuals relative to White individuals.
Conclusions. The greater reductions in WIC receipt among minoritized individuals highlights a pathway through which the pandemic may have widened gaps in already disparate maternal and infant health.
Included in
Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons, COVID-19 Commons, Epidemiology Commons, Family Medicine Commons, Maternal and Child Health Commons, Medical Sciences Commons, Primary Care Commons, Women's Health Commons