Long-Run Impacts of an Early-life Nutrition Program: Evidence from the Introduction of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

Autor: Hwang G; Congressional Budget Office, Health Analysis Division, 441 D St SW, Washington, DC, 20024, USA. grace.hwang@cbo.gov., Kim K; World Bank, Agriculture and Food Practice Group, Eastern and South Africa, 1818 H St NW, Washington, DC, 20433, USA.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Maternal and child health journal [Matern Child Health J] 2024 Dec; Vol. 28 (12), pp. 2037-2050. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Oct 08.
DOI: 10.1007/s10995-024-04005-2
Abstrakt: Objectives: To study how access to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) during the prenatal and early childhood periods affects long-term health outcomes of the affected cohorts.
Methods: In order to identify the effects of the WIC program, we exploit variations in the timing of its introduction in different counties and analyze future health indicators of affected cohorts. We use the restricted version of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, which includes county-level identifiers through the interview year 2019.
Results: Our findings suggest that extending WIC access by one month correlates with a 0.2-0.3% point decrease in asthma incidence (p < 0.1 to p < 0.01) of affected cohorts. Although the connection between WIC and asthma is not fully understood, existing studies suggest potential pathways. Micronutrient deficiencies during early life can impact immune function and inflammation, both relevant to asthma. Moreover, adopting healthier dietary habits may improve microbiome composition, lowering asthma risk. Other indirect benefits of WIC, such as increased use of preventive healthcare services, may also contribute to the prevention of asthma. Despite uncertainties, these estimates remain robust across various model specifications.
Conclusions for Practice: Our study implies that early-life nutritional support programs such as WIC may alleviate the burden of asthma, although the specific mechanisms and effect sizes remain unclear. Given the substantial impact of asthma in the U.S., our findings underscore the potential long-term benefits of early-life nutritional support programs for lifelong health.
Competing Interests: Declarations Consent for Publication N/A. Ethics Approval The research was conducted in accord with prevailing ethical principles and reviewed by an Institutional Review Board. Consent to Participate N/A. Conflict of interest Authors have no conflicts of interest.
(© 2024. This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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