Obesity Among WIC-Enrolled Young Children
Obesity affects children from low-income families more than children from high-income families. Children in low-income families are often served by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
To monitor obesity prevalence and identify priority areas that need attention, the CDC works with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) which administers WIC at national and regional levels. The CDC and USDA analyze data from the WIC Participant and Program Characteristics Reportexternal icon (WIC PC).
WIC PC is a biennial census, conducted by the USDA in April of even years. WIC PC summarizes the demographic characteristics of WIC participants nationwide and includes information on nutrition risk characteristics such as weight status.
What is WIC?
WIC is a federal program that promotes healthy eating and nutrition education for infants and children up to age 5, and low-income women who are pregnant, postpartum, or breastfeeding.
Nutrition during pregnancy and early childhood is critical for healthy child growth and development. To be eligible for WICexternal icon, women, infants, and children must meet residential, income, and nutrition risk requirements.
State-Level Data Show Modest Decline in Obesity Among WIC-Enrolled Young Children
A study published in November 2019 found 41 WIC state and territory agencies with significant declines in obesity among children aged 2-4 years between 2010 and 2016. That compared with 34 WIC state agencies reporting a decline in obesity among this age group from 2010 to 2014. Obesity prevalence reported in 2016 varied from 7.8 percent to 19.8 percent. Read the press release and full report.
More than 12 million children from 56 WIC state agencies and territories were in the analytic sample. Other findings included:
- Obesity decreased by more than 3 percent in New Jersey, New Mexico, Utah, Virginia, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico.
- 3 state agencies showed significant increases in obesity: Alabama (0.5 percent), North Carolina (0.6 percent), and West Virginia (2.2 percent).
Tip: When discussing topics like obesity and other chronic diseases, use person-first language (e.g., children with obesity) as well as respectful images. More information can be found here: Guidelines for Media Portrayals of Individuals Affected by Obesityexternal icon.
| Prevalence of obesity among children aged 2–4 years enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), by WIC state or territory agency — United States, 2010─2016 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 2016 | 2016 versus 2010 | ||||
| State | No. | Crude prevalence % (95% CI) | No. | Crude prevalence % (95% CI) | Adjusted prevalence ratio*(95% CI) |
Adjusted prevalence difference† % (95% CI) |
| Alabama§,¶ | 45,743 | 15.8 (15.5 to 16.2) | 42,671 | 16.3 (15.9 to 16.6) | 1.03 (1.00 to 1.06) | 0.5 (0.0 to 1.0) |
| Alaska** | 10,108 | 21.2 (20.4 to 22.0) | 5,983 | 19.8 (18.8 to 20.8) | 0.92 (0.86 to 0.97) | –1.6 (–2.8 to –0.3) |
| Arizona** | 72,933 | 15.0 (14.8 to 15.3) | 58,054 | 12.1 (11.8 to 12.3) | 0.81 (0.79 to 0.84) | –2.7 (–3.1 to –2.4) |
| Arkansas** | 31,245 | 14.8 (14.4 to 15.2) | 23,647 | 13.3 (12.8 to 13.7) | 0.90 (0.87 to 0.94) | –1.4 (–2.0 to –0.8) |
| California** | 583,008 | 18.4 (18.3 to 18.5) | 495,095 | 15.5 (15.4 to 15.6) | 0.86 (0.86 to 0.87) | –2.5 (–2.6 to –2.3) |
| Colorado** | 39,612 | 9.6 (9.3 to 9.8) | 31,307 | 8.1 (7.8 to 8.4) | 0.85 (0.81 to 0.90) | –1.4 (–1.8 to –1.0) |
| Connecticut** | 22,988 | 17.1 (16.6 to 17.6) | 18,748 | 14.4 (13.9 to 14.9) | 0.87 (0.83 to 0.91) | –2.2 (–2.9 to –1.5) |
| Delaware | 7,650 | 18.4 (17.5 to 19.2) | 6,906 | 16.2 (15.3 to 17.0) | 0.93 (0.87 to 1.00) | –1.1 (–2.3 to 0.2) |
| District of Columbia** | 5,182 | 14.4 (13.5 to 15.4) | 5,181 | 11.4 (10.5 to 12.3) | 0.83 (0.75 to 0.91) | –2.4 (–3.7 to –1.1) |
| Florida** | 194,924 | 14.6 (14.4 to 14.7) | 193,749 | 12.7 (12.6 to 12.9) | 0.87 (0.86 to 0.89) | –1.8 (–2.0 to –1.6) |
| Georgia** | 104,959 | 14.4 (14.2 to 14.6) | 78,023 | 12.5 (12.3 to 12.8) | 0.88 (0.86 to 0.90) | –1.8 (–2.1 to –1.4) |
| Hawaii | 14,504 | 9.7 (9.3 to 10.2) | 11,589 | 9.6 (9.1 to 10.1) | 0.98 (0.91 to 1.06) | –0.2 (–0.9 to 0.6) |
| Idaho** | 18,704 | 11.9 (11.5 to 12.4) | 14,521 | 11.3 (10.8 to 11.8) | 0.95 (0.89 to 1.00) | –0.6 (–1.3 to 0.1) |
| Illinois** | 108,762 | 15.7 (15.5 to 15.9) | 79,949 | 14.8 (14.6 to 15.0) | 0.98 (0.96 to 1.00) | –0.3 (–0.6 to 0.1) |
| Indiana** | 63,220 | 15.1 (14.8 to 15.4) | 55,955 | 13.0 (12.7 to 13.2) | 0.91 (0.88 to 0.93) | –1.4 (–1.8 to –1.0) |
| Iowa | 29,481 | 15.6 (15.2 to 16.0) | 24,427 | 15.2 (14.8 to 15.7) | 1.00 (0.96 to 1.04) | 0.0 (–0.6 to 0.6) |
| Kansas** | 30,458 | 13.7 (13.4 to 14.1) | 24,306 | 12.5 (12.1 to 12.9) | 0.91 (0.87 to 0.95) | –1.3 (–1.8 to –0.7) |
| Kentucky** | 45,761 | 18.2 (17.9 to 18.6) | 38,361 | 15.9 (15.6 to 16.3) | 0.88 (0.85 to 0.91) | –2.2 (–2.7 to –1.7) |
| Louisiana** | 48,145 | 13.8 (13.5 to 14.1) | 37,527 | 13.2 (12.9 to 13.6) | 0.94 (0.91 to 0.98) | –0.8 (–1.2 to –0.3) |
| Maine** | 10,410 | 15.2 (14.6 to 15.9) | 8,233 | 13.9 (13.2 to 14.7) | 0.92 (0.85 to 0.98) | –1.3 (–2.3 to –0.2) |
| Maryland** | 51,280 | 17.1 (16.8 to 17.4) | 50,469 | 15.6 (15.3 to 16.0) | 0.92 (0.90 to 0.95) | –1.3 (–1.8 to –0.9) |
| Massachusetts** | 49,178 | 17.1 (16.8 to 17.5) | 41,740 | 16.4 (16.0 to 16.7) | 0.94 (0.91 to 0.96) | –1.0 (–1.5 to –0.6) |
| Michigan** | 85,293 | 14.4 (14.2 to 14.6) | 84,387 | 13.3 (13.1 to 13.5) | 0.95 (0.93 to 0.97) | –0.7 (–1.0 to –0.3) |
| Minnesota** | 57,529 | 12.7 (12.4 to 13.0) | 47,219 | 12.2 (11.9 to 12.5) | 0.95 (0.92 to 0.98) | –0.6 (–1.0 to –0.2) |
| Mississippi** | 36,519 | 14.9 (14.6 to 15.3) | 28,493 | 14.4 (14.0 to 14.8) | 0.96 (0.92 to 0.99) | –0.6 (–1.2 to –0.1) |
| Missouri** | 50,575 | 14.4 (14.1 to 14.8) | 43,404 | 12.3 (12.0 to 12.6) | 0.86 (0.83 to 0.88) | –2.1 (–2.5 to –1.6) |
| Montana | 7,194 | 13.4 (12.6 to 14.2) | 6,647 | 12.1 (11.3 to 12.8) | 0.89 (0.82 to 0.97) | –1.5 (–2.6 to –0.4) |
| Nebraska | 15,622 | 14.4 (13.8 to 14.9) | 13,807 | 15.2 (14.6 to 15.7) | 1.05 (1.00 to 1.11) | 0.8 (0.0 to 1.6) |
| Nevada** | 25,855 | 15.0 (14.6 to 15.5) | 24,493 | 11.6 (11.2 to 12.0) | 0.80 (0.77 to 0.84) | –2.9 (–3.5 to –2.3) |
| New Hampshire | 7,263 | 15.0 (14.1 to 15.8) | 6,042 | 15.8 (14.9 to 16.7) | 1.05 (0.97 to 1.14) | 0.8 (–0.5 to 2.0) |
| New Jersey** | 59,000 | 18.9 (18.6 to 19.2) | 53,917 | 15.0 (14.7 to 15.3) | 0.80 (0.78 to 0.82) | –3.9 (–4.3 to –3.4) |
| New Mexico** | 21,968 | 15.7 (15.2 to 16.1) | 18,619 | 12.1 (11.6 to 12.5) | 0.77 (0.73 to 0.81) | –3.7 (–4.4 to –3.0) |
| New York** | 186,760 | 16.1 (16.0 to 16.3) | 182,401 | 13.7 (13.6 to 13.9) | 0.88 (0.87 to 0.89) | –1.9 (–2.1 to –1.7) |
| North Carolina§,¶ | 89,798 | 13.9 (13.6 to 14.1) | 97,286 | 14.2 (14.0 to 14.5) | 1.04 (1.02 to 1.06) | 0.6 (0.3 to 0.9) |
| North Dakota | 5,484 | 14.5 (13.5 to 15.4) | 4,723 | 14.3 (13.3 to 15.3) | 0.99 (0.90 to 1.09) | –0.1 (–1.4 to 1.3) |
| Ohio | 102,803 | 12.6 (12.4 to 12.8) | 74,753 | 12.4 (12.2 to 12.6) | 0.98 (0.96 to 1.01) | –0.2 (–0.5 to 0.1) |
| Oklahoma** | 37,849 | 15.4 (15.1 to 15.8) | 34,486 | 13.1 (12.8 to 13.5) | 0.85 (0.82 to 0.88) | –2.4 (–2.9 to –1.8) |
| Oregon** | 43,209 | 15.8 (15.5 to 16.2) | 34,485 | 14.7 (14.4 to 15.1) | 0.94 (0.91 to 0.97) | –1.0 (–1.5 to –0.5) |
| Pennsylvania** | 96,762 | 12.8 (12.6 to 13.1) | 80,202 | 12.2 (12.0 to 12.4) | 0.96 (0.94 to 0.98) | –0.5 (–0.8 to –0.2) |
| Rhode Island** | 10,783 | 16.4 (15.7 to 17.1) | 6,984 | 15.4 (14.5 to 16.2) | 0.93 (0.86 to 0.99) | –1.2 (–2.3 to –0.1) |
| South Carolina** | 39,785 | 13.3 (13.0 to 13.7) | 32,399 | 11.4 (11.1 to 11.8) | 0.89 (0.85 to 0.92) | –1.5 (–2.0 to –1.0) |
| South Dakota | 7,884 | 17.3 (16.5 to 18.1) | 6,771 | 17.1 (16.2 to 18.0) | 0.95 (0.88 to 1.02) | –0.8 (–2.1 to 0.4) |
| Tennessee** | 57,153 | 16.0 (15.7 to 16.3) | 51,157 | 14.6 (14.3 to 14.9) | 0.92 (0.89 to 0.94) | –1.3 (–1.8 to –0.9) |
| Texas** | 361,823 | 16.9 (16.8 to 17.0) | 268,787 | 14.6 (14.4 to 14.7) | 0.89 (0.88 to 0.90) | –1.9 (–2.0 to –1.7) |
| Utah** | 26,045 | 12.5 (12.1 to 12.9) | 21,599 | 7.9 (7.6 to 8.3) | 0.64 (0.60 to 0.67) | –4.6 (–5.1 to –4.0) |
| Vermont | 6,964 | 13.8 (13.0 to 14.7) | 5,254 | 14.5 (13.5 to 15.4) | 1.04 (0.95 to 1.13) | 0.6 (–0.7 to 1.8) |
| Virginia¶,** | 48,920 | 21.5 (21.2 to 21.9) | 47,376 | 15.3 (14.9 to 15.6) | 0.73 (0.71 to 0.75) | –5.8 (–6.3 to –5.3) |
| Washington** | 78,336 | 14.9 (14.6 to 15.1) | 69,870 | 13.3 (13.0 to 13.5) | 0.89 (0.87 to 0.91) | –1.6 (–2.0 to –1.3) |
| West Virginia§,¶ | 17,669 | 14.4 (13.9 to 14.9) | 14,222 | 16.6 (16.0 to 17.2) | 1.15 (1.09 to 1.21) | 2.2 (1.4 to 3.0) |
| Wisconsin** | 48,511 | 15.2 (14.9 to 15.5) | 37,116 | 14.3 (14.0 to 14.7) | 0.94 (0.91 to 0.97) | –0.9 (–1.4 to –0.4) |
| Wyoming** | 4,413 | 11.8 (10.9 to 12.8) | 3,458 | 9.1 (8.1 to 10.1) | 0.76 (0.67 to 0.87) | –2.8 (–4.2 to –1.5) |
| Territory | ||||||
| American Samoa | 3,221 | 14.6 (13.4 to 15.8) | 2,824 | 13.7 (12.4 to 15.0) | 0.94 (0.83 to 1.06) | –0.9 (–2.7 to 0.9) |
| Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands** | 2,157 | 14.1 (12.6 to 15.6) | 1,418 | 7.8 (6.4 to 9.2) | 0.55 (0.45 to 0.68) | –6.4 (–8.4 to –4.4) |
| Guam** | 3,248 | 11.4 (10.3 to 12.5) | 2,710 | 8.3 (7.3 to 9.4) | 0.73 (0.62 to 0.85) | –3.1 (–4.6 to –1.6) |
| Puerto Rico** | 70,699 | 20.3 (20.0 to 20.6) | 63,251 | 12.0 (11.8 to 12.3) | 0.60 (0.58 to 0.61) | –8.2 (–8.6 to –7.8) |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | 2,093 | 12.4 (11.0 to 13.8) | 1,593 | 13.1 (11.5 to 14.8) | 1.07 (0.90 to 1.26) | 0.8 (–1.4 to 3.0) |
| Abbreviation: CI = confidence interval. * Obtained from log binomial regression model adjusted for age in month, sex, and race/ethnicity. † Calculated as 100 times the average marginal effect of year (2010 versus 2016) from logistic regression controlling for age, sex, and race. A negative value indicates that the prevalence decreased. § Statistically significant increase in obesity prevalence during 2010–2016 determined by trend test using log binomial regression model adjusted for age, sex, and race/ethnicity with all years of data included. ¶ Change in the data reporting system in 2016 might affect obesity prevalence. ** Statistically significant decrease in obesity prevalence during 2010–2016 determined by trend test using log binomial regression model adjusted for age, sex, and race/ethnicity with all years of data included. |
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National Trends Indicate Decline in Obesity Among WIC-Enrolled Young Children
For a research letterexternal icon published in April 2019, CDC and USDA authors analyzed national obesity trends from 2010 to 2016 among children aged 2-4 years from WIC-enrolled families. The authors found that:
- In 2016, 13.9% of WIC participants aged 2 to 4 years had obesity. That was a decrease from 15.5% in 2010. Obesity had increased among this group from 2000 – 2010.
- The prevalence of overweight and obesity combined decreased from 32.5% in 2010 to 29.1% in 2016.
- The greatest relative decreases were among children aged 2–3 years, boys, and Asians/Pacific Islanders.
- The prevalence of obesity in 2016 was higher among Hispanic (16.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (18.5%) young children than among those who were non-Hispanic white (12.1%), non-Hispanic black (11.4%), or Asians/Pacific Islander (10.0%).
| Table 1. Prevalence of Overweight or Obesity Among U.S. Children Aged 2–4 Years Enrolled in WIC by Age, Sex, and Race/Ethnicity, 2010-2016 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prevalencea, % (95% CI) | 2016 vs 2010 | |||||
| 2010 | 2012 | 2014 | 2016 | Adjusted Prevalence Ratio (95% CI) |
Adjusted Prevalence Differenceb (95% CI) |
|
| Overweight or Obesity (BMI at or above the 85th percentile for age and sex on the CDC growth charts) | ||||||
| Overallc | 32.5 (32.5 to 32.6) | 31.2 (31.1 to 31.2) | 30.2 (30.1 to 30.2) | 29.1 (29.1 to 29.2) | 0.90 (0.90 to 0.90) | -3.2 (-3.3 to -3.2) |
| Age in yearsc | ||||||
| 2 | 30.2 (30.2 to 30.3) | 28.6 (28.5 to 28.7) | 27.5 (27.5 to 27.6) | 27.1 (27.0 to 27.2) | 0.90 (0.90 to 0.90) | -3.0 (-3.1 to -2.9) |
| 3 | 33.4 (33.3 to 33.4) | 32.0 (31.9 to 32.1) | 31.1 (31.1 to 31.2) | 29.7 (29.7 to 29.8) | 0.90 (0.89 to 0.90) | -3.5 (-3.6 to -3.4) |
| 4 | 35.2 (35.1 to 35.3) | 33.9 (33.8 to 34.0) | 33.2 (33.1 to 33.3) | 31.7 (31.5 to 31.8) | 0.91 (0.90 to 0.91) | -3.3 (-3.5 to -3.2) |
| Sexc | ||||||
| Boys | 33.5 (33.4 to 33.6) | 31.8 (31.8 to 31.9) | 30.9 (30.8 to 31.0) | 29.6 (29.5 to 29.6) | 0.89 (0.88 to 0.89) | -3.8 (-3.9 to -3.7) |
| Girls | 31.5 (31.5 to 31.6) | 30.5 (30.4 to 30.5) | 29.5 (29.4 to 29.6) | 28.6 (28.6 to 28.7) | 0.92 (0.91 to 0.92) | -2.7 (-2.8 to -2.6) |
| Race/Ethnicityc,d | ||||||
| Non-Hispanic white | 28.8 (28.7 to 28.9) | 27.8 (27.7 to 27.9) | 27.7 (27.6 to 27.8) | 27.4 (27.3 to 27.5) | 0.95 (0.95 to 0.96) | -1.4 (-1.5 to -1.3) |
| Non-Hispanic black | 27.3 (27.2 to 27.4) | 26.3 (26.2 to 26.4) | 25.9 (25.8 to 26.0) | 25.0 (24.9 to 25.1) | 0.92 (0.91 to 0.92) | -2.2 (-2.4 to -2.1) |
| Hispanic | 37.2 (37.1 to 37.3) | 35.5 (35.4 to 35.6) | 34.0 (33.9 to 34.1) | 32.6 (32.5 to 32.6) | 0.88 (0.87 to 0.88) | -4.6 (-4.7 to -4.5) |
| American Indian/ Alaska Native |
40.3 (39.8 to 40.8) | 37.5 (37.0 to 37.9) | 36.2 (35.7 to 36.7) | 36.7 (36.2 to 37.2) | 0.91 (0.90 to 0.93) | -3.6 (-4.2 to -2.9) |
| Asian/ Pacific Islander |
26.6 (26.4 to 26.9) | 25.2 (25.0 to 25.5) | 24.2 (24.0 to 24.4) | 22.4 (22.1 to 22.6) | 0.84 (0.83 to 0.85) | -4.2 (-4.5 to -3.9) |
| Abbreviation: WIC, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children; BMI, body mass index; CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
aCrude prevalence. Biologically implausible z scores were defined as the following when calculating the prevalence: height for age less than −5.0 or above 4.0, weight for age less than −5.0 or above 8.0, and body mass index for age less than −4.0 or more than 8.0. bCalculated from prevalence in 2010 and adjusted prevalence ratio between 2010 and 2016 obtained from log binomial regression model controlled for age, sex, and race/ethnicity: [prevalence in 2010 x adjusted prevalence ratio between 2010 and 2016] – prevalence in 2010. cP<0.001 for trend tests with all years’ data included; P values were obtained from log binomial regression models controlled for age, sex, and race/ethnicity. dTrends are presented by race/ethnicity because they are important for identifying health disparities. |
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| Table 2. Prevalence of Obesity Among U.S. Children Aged 2–4 Years Enrolled in WIC by Age, Sex, and Race/Ethnicity, 2010-2016 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prevalencea, % (95% CI) | 2016 vs 2010 | |||||
| 2010 | 2012 | 2014 | 2016 | Adjusted Prevalence Ratio (95% CI) |
Adjusted Prevalence Differenceb (95% CI) |
|
| Obesity (BMI at or above the 95th percentile for age and sex on the CDC growth charts) | ||||||
| Overallc | 15.9 (15.9 to 16.0) | 15.2 (15.1 to 15.2) | 14.5 (14.5 to 14.6) | 13.9 (13.9 to 13.9) | 0.88 (0.88 to 0.89) | -1.9 (-1.9 to -1.8) |
| Age in yearsc | ||||||
| 2 | 14.1 (14.0 to 14.1) | 13.2 (13.1 to 13.3) | 12.5 (12.4 to 12.5) | 12.3 (12.2 to 12.3) | 0.88 (0.87 to 0.88) | -1.7 (-1.8 to -1.6) |
| 3 | 16.6 (16.6 to 16.7) | 15.9 (15.8 to 15.9) | 15.4 (15.3 to 15.4) | 14.5 (14.5 to 14.6) | 0.88 (0.87 to 0.88) | -2.0 (-2.1 to -1.9) |
| 4 | 17.9 (17.8 to 18.0) | 17.2 (17.1 to 17.3) | 16.8 (16.7 to 16.9) | 15.8 (15.7 to 15.9) | 0.89 (0.88 to 0.90) | -2.0 (-2.1 to -1.9) |
| Sexc | ||||||
| Boys | 16.8 (16.7 to 16.9) | 15.9 (15.8 to 15.9) | 15.2 (15.1 to 15.2) | 14.4 (14.3 to 14.5) | 0.87 (0.86 to 0.87) | -2.2 (-2.3 to -2.2) |
| Girls | 15.0 (14.9 to 15.1) | 14.4 (14.4 to 14.5) | 13.9 (13.8 to 14.0) | 13.4 (13.3 to 13.4) | 0.90 (0.90 to 0.91) | -1.5 (-1.6 to -1.4) |
| Race/Ethnicityc,d | ||||||
| Non-Hispanic white | 12.8 (12.7 to 12.9) | 12.4 (12.3 to 12.4) | 12.2 (12.2 to 12.3) | 12.1 (12.0 to 12.2) | 0.95 (0.94 to 0.95) | -0.7 (-0.8 to -0.6) |
| Non-Hispanic black | 12.7 (12.6 to 12.8) | 12.1 (12.0 to 12.2) | 11.9 (11.8 to 11.9) | 11.4 (11.3 to 11.5) | 0.90 (0.89 to 0.91) | -1.2 (-1.3 to -1.1) |
| Hispanic | 19.3 (19.2 to 19.3) | 18.3 (18.2 to 18.3) | 17.3 (17.3 to 17.4) | 16.4 (16.4 to 16.5) | 0.86 (0.85 to 0.86) | -2.8 (-2.9 to -2.7) |
| American Indian/ Alaska Native |
20.9 (20.5 to 21.3) | 18.9 (18.5 to 19.2) | 18.0 (17.6 to 18.3) | 18.5 (18.1 to 18.9) | 0.88 (0.86 to 0.91) | -2.4 (-3.0 to -1.9) |
| Asian/ Pacific Islander |
12.5 (12.3 to 12.6) | 11.7 (11.5 to 11.9) | 11.1 (10.9 to 11.3) | 10.0 (9.9 to 10.2) | 0.81 (0.79 to 0.82) | -2.4 (-2.6 to -2.2) |
| Abbreviation: WIC, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children; BMI, body mass index; CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
aCrude prevalence. Biologically implausible z scores were defined as the following when calculating the prevalence: height for age less than −5.0 or above 4.0, weight for age less than −5.0 or above 8.0, and body mass index for age less than −4.0 or more than 8.0. bCalculated from prevalence in 2010 and adjusted prevalence ratio between 2010 and 2016 obtained from log binomial regression model controlled for age, sex, and race/ethnicity: [prevalence in 2010 x adjusted prevalence ratio between 2010 and 2016] – prevalence in 2010. cP<0.001 for trend tests with all years’ data included; P values were obtained from log binomial regression models controlled for age, sex, and race/ethnicity. dTrends are presented by race/ethnicity because they are important for identifying health disparities. |
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Obesity Prevalence Based on Height to Weight Ratio Among WIC-Enrolled Infants Declined from 2010-2014
One way to measure infants’ relative weight is to consider their weight and length. Infants with high weight for their length are at increased risk of obesity in childhood and early adulthood.
A study published in 2016external icon found that overall, the prevalence of WIC-enrolled infants aged 3 to 23 months with high weight for their length decreased from 14.5% in 2010 to 12.3% in 2014. During this time, 36 states and territories observed a significant decrease in high weight-for-length among infants aged 3 to-23 months. See state and territory specific information.
The study reported the following:
- High weight-for-length varied across racial/ethnic groups with the 2014 prevalence higher among American Indian (15.6%) and Hispanic (13.8%) infants than among black (11.9%), white (11%), and Asians/Pacific Islander (8.5%) infants.
- Between 2010–2014, all 20 combinations of race/ethnicity and income showed decreases in the prevalence of high weight-for-length, with the largest decrease among American Indians and Hispanics.
