Milk consumption patterns among Hispanic WIC mothers and their children

Current dietary guidance specifies that reduced‐fat dairy products are preferable for all individuals over two years of age. We evaluated milk consumption patterns of 556 three‐ and four‐year old Hispanic children and their mothers, all WIC participants, in Los Angeles County. Data on food intake for the target child and other family members were obtained by interview with the mother. Using bivariate chi‐square analyses and logistic regression, we found overweight children were more likely than normal weight children to drink reduced‐fat milk (p<0.01); mothers and children were likely to drink the same type of milk; and mothers who were pregnant were more than twice as likely as non‐pregnant mothers to report drinking whole milk (p<0.05). These findings suggest further work is necessary to understand the social and cultural motivators for milk choices among WIC mothers and their children.