Racial/Ethnic Differences in Diet Quality and Eating Habits Among WIC Pregnant Women: Implications for Policy and Practice

Purpose: One of the major federal food assistance programs, the Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), serves approximately 1.5 million low-income pregnant women per year; however, limited information is available on their dietary habits. This is critical because low-income women are at higher risk of gaining excess weight during pregnancy. Thus, the study objectives were to (1) determine the overall diet quality of WIC pregnant women and (2) examine diet quality and eating behaviors by race/ethnicity and other sociodemographics. Design: This was a cross-sectional study. Setting: One of the 3 WIC offices in a north-central county in North Carolina, USA. Sample: Pregnant women (n = 198) in the second trimester. Measures: Interviews included sociodemographics, food security, diet, and eating behaviors. Diet quality was assessed by the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) 2010 scores. Analysis: Descriptives, bivariate analysis, and multivariate analysis. Results: Average participant age was 26 years, and the mean HEI-2010 score was 56 of maximum score of 100. Specifically, African American women consumed significantly lower servings of whole grains (β = −1.71; 95% CI: −3.10 to −0.32; P <.05) and dairy (β = −1.42; 95% CI: −2.51 to −0.33; P <.05) compared with non-Hispanic white women. Hispanic women scored higher in daily intake of fruits (β = 0.98; 95% CI: 0.17-1.79; P <.05) and for consuming empty calories in moderation (β = 1.57; 95% CI: 0.06-3.09; P <.05). Frequency of intake of fast foods/outside meals was higher among African American women (57%, P =.025). Conclusion: Efforts are warranted to promote optimal nutrition among WIC pregnant women. Specifically, African American women are highly vulnerable to poor dietary habits during pregnancy. Further investigation of barriers/facilitators for healthy eating is necessary to address nutrition disparities among WIC pregnant women