title: Improving the immunization and health status of children in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program.
abstract: Maintaining enrollment in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and continued exposure of these children to immunization-promoting and nutritional benefits within the program is essential to improve the health status of this vulnerable population. Logistic regression was used to determine characteristics of 2 groups of children: those who dropped out of the program despite being eligible and those who remained in the program but were underimmunized. Of over 20,000 children 19-35 months old, 49% had participated in WIC but only 50% were still enrolled. Factors most strongly associated with dropping out of the program were older age of child; white, black, or American Indian race; living in an urban or suburban area; higher socioeconomic status but still eligible for the program; having only 1 child at home; and having mothers who were unmarried or less than 30 years old (p<0.05). Among current participants, factors most strongly associated with under-vaccination included younger age of the child; black or Asian race; moving from another state since birth; mother with less than a high-school education; and having 2 or more children under 18 years old living in the household (p<0.05). Routinely collected child/family information can be used to target outreach and immunization-promoting interventions toward children most likely to drop out of the program or to be underimmunized.
authors.affiliation: Health Services Research and Evaluation Branch, National Immunization Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA.
authors.forename: Abigail
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shefer
authors.forename: Philip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000385:Aid to Families with Dependent Children / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007223:Infant; D016015:Logistic Models; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010352:Patient Dropouts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011203:Poverty / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States