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. 2014 Feb;104 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):S112-8.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301330. Epub 2013 Dec 19.

The new food package and breastfeeding outcomes among women, infants, and children participants in Los Angeles County

Brent A Langellier  1 , M Pia Chaparro, May C Wang, Maria Koleilat, Shannon E Whaley
Affiliations

The new food package and breastfeeding outcomes among women, infants, and children participants in Los Angeles County

Brent A Langellier et al. Am J Public Health. 2014 Feb.

Abstract

Objectives: We assessed the effect of the new Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food package, implemented in October 2009, on breastfeeding outcomes among a predominately Latina sample of WIC participants in Los Angeles County, California.

Methods: We used data from 5020 WIC participants who were interviewed in a series of repeated cross-sectional surveys conducted in 2005, 2008, and 2011. Participants were randomly selected from Los Angeles County residents who received WIC services during those years.

Results: Consistent with the WIC population in Los Angeles, participants were mostly Latina and had low levels of income and education; more than half were foreign-born. We found small but significant increases from pre- to postimplementation of the new WIC food package in prevalence of prenatal intention to breastfeed and breastfeeding initiation, but no changes in any breastfeeding at 3 and 6 months. The prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding at 3 and 6 months roughly doubled, an increase that remained large and significant after adjustment for other factors.

Conclusions: The new food package can improve breastfeeding outcomes in a population at high risk for negative breastfeeding outcomes.

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