Table 1.
Sample characteristics by gender and by dose of the new child package received1
| Number of years receiving the new child food package | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOYS |
0 (N = 11,089) |
> 0 to < 1 (N = 4361) |
1 to < 2 (N = 4138) |
2 to < 3 (N = 4436) |
3 to < 4 (N = 4679) |
4 (N = 9706) |
| Initial WHZ, mean ± SD | 0.49 ± 1.25 | 0.49 ± 1.20 | 0.55 ± 1.22 | 0.53 ± 1.23 | 0.53 ± 1.25 | 0.35 ± 1.25 |
| Age (y) at initial WHZ, mean ± SD | 0.29 ± 0.22 | 0.23 ± 0.23 | 0.25 ± 0.23 | 0.25 ± 0.24 | 0.26 ± 0.24 | 0.22 ± 0.23 |
| Obese (BMI > 95th percentile) at 4y, N (%) | 2795(25.4) | 1165(26.9) | 1094(26.7) | 1134(25.8) | 1166(25.1) | 2232(23.1) |
| Child race/ethnicity, N (%) | ||||||
| Asian | 722(6.5) | 223(5.1) | 192(4.6) | 186(4.2) | 176(3.8) | 381(3.9) |
| Black | 741(6.7) | 245(5.6) | 226(5.5) | 278(6.3) | 328(7.0) | 695(7.2) |
| Hispanic | 9238(83.3) | 3732(85.6) | 3622(87.5) | 3831(86.4) | 4030(86.1) | 8253(85.0) |
| White | 376(3.4) | 134(3.1) | 82(2.0) | 101(2.3) | 102(2.2) | 223(2.3) |
| Other | 12(0.1) | 27(0.6) | 16(0.4) | 40(0.9) | 43(0.9) | 154(1.6) |
| Parental language, N (%) | ||||||
| English | 4582(41.3) | 1919(44.0) | 1915(46.3) | 2220(50.1) | 2451(52.4) | 5529(57.0) |
| Spanish | 5977(53.9) | 2261(51.9) | 2089(50.5) | 2096(47.3) | 2103(45.0) | 3921(40.4) |
| Other | 530(4.8) | 181(4.2) | 134(3.2) | 120(2.7) | 125(2.7) | 256(2.6) |
| Parental education, N (%) | ||||||
| < high school | 7081(63.9) | 2756(63.2) | 2645(63.9) | 2780(62.7) | 2813(60.1) | 5288(54.5) |
| High school | 3149(28.4) | 1289(29.6) | 1182(28.6) | 1279(28.8) | 1464(31.3) | 3366(34.7) |
| > high school | 859(7.8) | 316(7.3) | 311(7.5) | 377(8.5) | 402(8.6) | 1052(10.8) |
| Family income, N (%) | ||||||
| < 50% FPL | 3314(29.9) | 1234(28.3) | 1131(27.3) | 1262(28.5) | 1324(28.3) | 3472(35.8) |
| 50–100% FPL | 5093(45.9) | 2139(49.1) | 2013(48.7) | 2077(46.8) | 2162(46.2) | 4405(45.4) |
| > 100% FPL | 2682(24.2) | 988(22.7) | 994(24.0) | 1097(24.7) | 1193(25.5) | 1829(18.8) |
| GIRLS |
0 (N = 10,552) |
> 0 to < 1 (N = 4167) |
1 to < 2 (N = 3979) |
2 to < 3 (N = 4262) |
3 to < 4 (N = 4508) |
4 (N = 8994) |
| Initial WHZ, mean ± SD | 0.48 ± 1.19 | 0.49 ± 1.18 | 0.49 ± 1.16 | 0.49 ± 1.18 | 0.54 ± 1.14 | 0.37 ± 1.16 |
| Age (y) at initial WHZ, mean ± SD | 0.29 ± 0.22 | 0.24 ± 0.23 | 0.25 ± 0.23 | 0.25 ± 0.24 | 0.26 ± 0.24 | 0.22 ± 0.23 |
| Obese (BMI > 95th percentile) at 4y, N (%) | 2375(22.7) | 938(22.7) | 901(22.9) | 958(22.7) | 997(22.3) | 1867(20.9) |
| Child race/ethnicity, N (%) | ||||||
| Asian | 673(6.4) | 214(5.1) | 173(4.4) | 185(4.3) | 179(4.0) | 356(4.0) |
| Black | 666(6.3) | 273(6.6) | 220(5.5) | 275(6.5) | 279(6.2) | 683(7.6) |
| Hispanic | 8820(83.6) | 3556(85.3) | 3472(87.3) | 3680(86.3) | 3910(86.7) | 7602(84.5) |
| White | 381(3.6) | 109(2.6) | 88(2.2) | 101(2.4) | 94(2.1) | 199(2.2) |
| Other | 12(0.1) | 15(0.4) | 26(0.7) | 21(0.5) | 46(1.0) | 154(1.7) |
| Parental language, N (%) | ||||||
| English | 4401(41.7) | 1890(45.4) | 1891(47.5) | 2053(48.2) | 2378(52.8) | 5141(57.2) |
| Spanish | 5684(53.9) | 2125(51.0) | 1961(49.3) | 2082(48.9) | 2025(44.9) | 3610(40.1) |
| Other | 467(4.4) | 152(3.7) | 127(3.2) | 127(3.0) | 105(2.3) | 243(2.7) |
| Parental education, N (%) | ||||||
| < high school | 6840(64.8) | 2581(61.9) | 2439(61.3) | 2625(61.6) | 2705(60.0) | 4977(55.3) |
| High school | 2851(27.0) | 1275(30.6) | 1239(31.1) | 1330(31.2) | 1415(31.4) | 3175(35.3) |
| > high school | 861(8.2) | 311(7.5) | 301(7.6) | 307(7.2) | 388(8.6) | 842(9.4) |
| Family income, N (%) | ||||||
| < 50% FPL | 3207(30.4) | 1243(29.8) | 1124(28.3) | 1157(27.2) | 1297(28.8) | 3308(36.8) |
| 50–100% FPL | 4746(45.0) | 2009(48.2) | 1857(46.7) | 2033(47.7) | 2088(46.3) | 4061(45.2) |
| > 100% FPL | 2599(24.6) | 915(22.0) | 998(25.1) | 1072(25.2) | 1123(24.9) | 1625(18.1) |
1The sample includes children who participated in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) continuously from birth until age 4 (inclusive) in Los Angeles County, California between 2003 and 2016 and who were exclusively formula fed during their first year of life
Abbreviations: BMI body mass index; FPL federal poverty level; SD standard deviation; WHZ weight-for-height z-score; y = years