Racial/ethnic and weight status differences in food preparation among WIC participants

The main purpose of this study was to examine whether the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) helped mothers of overweight/obese preschool children to cut down on dietary fat and sugar intake for their families. Data from the Children Eating Well for Health (CHEW) Nutrition Survey, a probability sample of 150 (50 each White, Black and Hispanic) families with preschoolers participating in the WIC program in Nashville/Davidson County, Tennessee, were analyzed using logistic regression modeling. Mothers who reported that the WIC program helped them reduce fat intake were 2.5 times more likely to have an overweight/obese child and 2.1 times more likely to be obese themselves. No significant effects were found for adding sugar. These results suggest that the mothers in this sample were applying WIC nutritional counseling to use food preparation techniques that cut down on added fats for themselves and their children who were at risk due to weight status.