Individual and Household-Level Factors Associated With Caregivers' Intention to Keep Their Child Enrolled in WIC

Objective: Identify factors associated with caregivers' intention to keep their child enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program until age 5 years.

Methods: Baseline data from a longitudinal questionnaire aiming to assess the impact of a statewide intervention to increase WIC retention in Illinois were analyzed in 2018. Data on sociodemographics and household characteristics were collected in 2015 from 174 caregiver/child dyads. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with caregivers' intention to keep their child enrolled in WIC until age 5 years (ie, intention).

Results: A total of 66% of caregivers stated they were very likely to keep their child enrolled in the WIC program. Breastfeeding and homeownership status were associated with 58% (P =.03) and 72% (P =.02) lower odds of intention among caregivers, respectively.

Conclusions and implications: Significant inverse associations among breastfeeding, homeownership, and intention support the need for tailoring state-level WIC retention efforts to specific population characteristics and health behaviors.