(P24-128-23) WIC Participation Is Associated With Lower Intake of Ultraprocessed Foods in US Children

Objectives: Ultraprocessed food (UPF) consumption has been identified as a dietary risk factor associated with negative health outcomes. Studies have shown in increase in UPF consumption among adults and children over the past decade, but the impact of federal food program participation on ultraprocessed food consumption remains understudied. The objective of this study was to examine the association between participation in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program and UPF consumption in a nationally representative sample of US children.

Methods: Data from a nationally representative sample of 2,128 children between 0 – 5 years participated in the 2017-2018 NHANES was used in this study. As part of the NHANES, questions regarding Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program benefits were collected during an interview held in the home. Adults responded to three household-level questions as well as six individual-level questions for participants aged birth to 5 years. Dietary intake data was collected using 24-hour recall, with a proxy responding for children < 6y. Ultraprocessed foods were defined by NOVA, a classification system that categorizes items according to level of food processing. The percentage of total energy consumed from ultraprocessed foods was calculated. Data analysis was conducted using SAS 9.4 using procedures to account for the complex survey design of the NHANES. All models were adjusted for age, sex, race, educational attainment, and household income.

Results: Overall, WIC participation was associated with lower intake of ultraprocessed foods in US children. WIC participants consumed an average of 60% calories from ultraprocessed foods, while non-WIC participants consumed an average of 65% calories from ultraprocessed foods after controlling for age, sex, household income, household size and number of meals consumed away from home (p=0.0035). When stratifying by race, this difference was most notable in Non-Hispanic Black children, where WIC participants consumed a significantly smaller proportion of calories from ultraprocsessed foods than non-participants (61 ± 4%, vs. 70 ± 2%, p=0.04).

Conclusions: Childhood participation in WIC was associated with lower intake of ultraprocessed foods in this nationally representative sample of US children, particularly among non-Hispanic black children.

Funding Sources: None