By David Wise
LITTLE ROCK — Researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) found significant declines in WIC participation during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health.
The researchers — led by student-researcher and UAMS College of Medicine student Savannah Busch — measured changes in participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) among more than 10 million Medicaid-covered births across the United States between 2016 and 2022. During this time period, researchers found that participation in WIC went from 66.6% to 57.9%.
In addition to significant declines in WIC participation during and after the pandemic, researchers discovered even greater reductions in the program’s participation among individuals of minority race/ethnicity.