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
Comments
Public Health Implications. Continued efforts to increase WIC utilization are needed overall and among minoritized populations. (Am J Public Health. 2023;113(S3):S240–S247. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2023.307525)