Infant feeding practices and food consumption patterns of children participating in WIC

Abstract

Objective: To describe feeding practices and food consumption of infants and children participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

Design: National, cross-sectional analysis of 24-hour dietary recall data from the 2008 Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study.

Participants: Random sample of infants (6-11 months of age), toddlers (12-23 months of age), and preschoolers (24-47 months of age); WIC participants (n = 794) and nonparticipants (n = 2,477).

Main outcome measures: Breastfeeding rates, introduction to solids, food consumption.

Analysis: Used weighted descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and t tests to identify dietary outcomes unique to WIC participants vs nonparticipants.

Results: Compared with nonparticipants, fewer WIC infants were breastfed (P < .01) and consumed any vegetable (P < .05) but more consumed 100% juice (P < .05). Fewer WIC toddlers and preschoolers consumed any fruit vs nonparticipants (P < .01). The WIC toddlers were more likely to consume any sweet vs nonparticipants (P < .05), especially sugar-sweetened beverages (P < .01). Over 80% of all preschoolers consumed any sweet, and nearly half consumed sugar-sweetened beverages on an average day.

Conclusions and implications: Findings identify feeding and dietary issues that begin during infancy and are also present in toddler and preschool stages. These findings are useful for WIC nutritionists and health care practitioners to encourage the early development of healthful eating patterns.

Keywords: WIC; breastfeeding; dietary intake; fruit; infant; preschooler; toddler; vegetables.