Table 1.
Characteristics of WIC participating children in Los Angeles County, California (N = 148,634)
| Individual Characteristics | Boys | Girls | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Package N = 43,546 |
New Package N = 32,195 |
Old Package N = 41,686 |
New Package N = 31,207 |
|
| Initial WHZa, mean ± SD | 0.49 ± 1.51 | 0.37 ± 1.63 | 0.47 ± 1.86 | 0.37 ± 1.52 |
| Age (y) at initial WHZ, mean ± SD | 0.30 ± 0.35 | 0.27 ± 0.32 | 0.30 ± 0.35 | 0.28 ± 0.32 |
| Obese at age 4 (y), n (%) | 9098 (20.89) | 5835 (18.12) | 7250 (17.39) | 5092 (16.32) |
| Race/ethnicity, n (%) | ||||
| Asian | 1646 (3.79) | 946 (2.94) | 1538 (3.70) | 903 (2.89) |
| African American | 2003 (4.62) | 1575 (4.89) | 1857 (4.47) | 1573 (5.04) |
| Hispanic | 38,473 (88.67) | 28,396 (88.21) | 36,976 (89.03) | 27,504 (88.15) |
| White | 1218 (2.81) | 738 (2.29) | 1113 (2.68) | 674 (2.16) |
| Other | 51 (0.12) | 535 (1.66) | 46 (0.11) | 547 (1.75) |
| Language Preference, n (%) | ||||
| English | 13,887 (31.89) | 15,703 (48.77) | 13,431 (32.22) | 15,084 (48.34) |
| Spanish | 28,539 (65.54) | 15,770 (48.98) | 27,279 (65.44) | 15,456 (49.53) |
| Other | 1120 (2.57) | 722 (2.24) | 976 (2.34) | 667 (2.14) |
| Maternal Education, n (%) | ||||
| < HS degree | 27,250 (62.58) | 16,300 (50.63) | 26,161 (62.76) | 15,885 (50.90) |
| HS degree | 12,265 (28.17) | 11,481 (35.66) | 11,720 (28.11) | 11,020 (35.31) |
| > HS degree | 4031 (9.26) | 4414 (13.71) | 3805 (9.13) | 4302 (13.79) |
| Household Income, n (%) | ||||
| < 50% FPL | 8237 (18.92) | 9121 (28.33) | 8073 (19.37) | 8730 (27.97) |
| 50–100% FPL | 21,544 (49.47) | 15,471 (48.05) | 20,558 (49.32) | 15,164 (48.59) |
| > 100% FPL | 13,765 (31.61) | 7603 (23.62) | 13,055 (31.32) | 7313 (23.43) |
| Neighborhood Characteristicsb | ||||
| Healthy outletsc per sq. mi, mean ± SD | 3.33 ± 2.54 | 2.99 ± 2.39 | 3.33 ± 2.54 | 2.97 ± 2.39 |
| Unhealthy outletsd per sq. mi, mean ± SD | 9.97 ± 6.50 | 9.46 ± 5.73 | 9.97 ± 6.47 | 9.41 ± 5.69 |
| Poverty percent, mean ± SD | 22.60 ± 11.17 | 25.93 ± 11.55 | 22.65 ± 11.15 | 25.92 ± 11.63 |
| Minority percent, mean ± SD | 89.56 ± 14.02 | 89.66 ± 13.73 | 89.54 ± 14.01 | 89.63 ± 13.84 |
| HS grad percent, mean ± SD | 58.54 ± 15.74 | 62.04 ± 15.36 | 58.52 ± 15.70 | 62.07 ± 15.42 |
| Residents per sq. mi, mean ± SD | 18,297 ± 11,910 | 17,922 ± 11,894 | 18,295 ± 11,907 | 17,836 ± 11,790 |
FPL federal poverty level, HS high school, MI mile, SD standard deviation, SQ square, WIC Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, WHZ weight-for-height z-score, y years
aInitial WHZ corresponds to the first length and weight measurement for each participant
bNeighborhood was defined as the census tract of residence + a 0.5-mile buffer for food environment variables and as the census tract of residence for social environment variables
cHealthy outlets included supermarkets, chain and independent grocery stores and fruit/vegetable vendors
dUnhealthy outlets included fast food, liquor stores and chain and independent convenience stores