Association of the COVID-19 Pandemic With Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Receipt Among Pregnant Individuals: United States, 2016-2022

Authors

Savannah Busch
Jennifer A Andersen
Don E Willis
Pearl Anna McElfish
Sharon Reece
Dominique DuBois
Clare C Brown

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.