Sociodemographic determinants of food security status among first-time WIC participants

Document Type

Article

Date of Original Version

7-1-2011

Abstract

This longitudinal study examines determinants of change in household food insecurity among 18 064 first-time, low-income Massachusetts mothers participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. Minority status and initial food security status explained likelihood to remain or become food insecure over time. At the final WIC visit, risk for food insecurity remained 1.6 times higher for blacks and 1.2 times higher for Hispanics and 47% lower for households that were food secure at baseline. Sociodemographic factors interacted with baseline food security status and with race/ethnicity to explain final food security status, suggesting that the mechanisms leading to household food insecurity vary within low-income populations. Copyright © 2011 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.

Publication Title, e.g., Journal

Topics in Clinical Nutrition

Volume

26

Issue

3

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS