Comparison of WIC benefit redemptions in Michigan indicates higher utilization among Arab American families.

OBJECTIVE: To assess Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefit use across Arab American, Hispanic, and non-Arab/non-Hispanic families participating in the Michigan WIC program using point-of-sale Electronic Benefits Transfer data. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis using administrative data obtained from the Michigan WIC program, which collects Arab American ethnicity in addition to Hispanic ethnicity and race. SETTING: Michigan. PARTICIPANTS: Families participating in the Michigan WIC program in March, 2012 (n = 152,989). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Families redeeming all WIC benefits. ANALYSIS: Bivariate frequencies and multivariate logistic regression model identified characteristics of families associated with full redemption of WIC food benefits. RESULTS: About 12% of WIC families fully redeemed their benefits in March, 2012. Compared with non-Arab/non-Hispanic families, Arab American WIC families were significantly more likely to use all of their monthly WIC benefits, even after controlling for family characteristics (adjusted odds ratio, 3.6; 95% confidence interval, 3.4-3.8). Rates of redemption for Hispanic families, however, were the same as for non-Arab/non-Hispanic families (adjusted odds ratio, 1.0; 95% confidence interval, 0.9-1.0). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: State WIC programs moving toward implementation of Electronic Benefits Transfer should consider ways to enhance systems that would allow for more opportunities to conduct targeted analyses of benefit use across participant subpopulations. Findings point to low overall WIC benefit use. Additional research is needed to explore methods to increase benefit use among all WIC populations, including whether specific factors may contribute to higher redemptions among ethnic minorities, and whether they can be translated to other subpopulations.

Alcohol use associated with cervical spinal cord injury.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether alcohol use at time of spinal cord injury (SCI) is more common with cervical injury than with lower levels of spinal injury. METHODS: Veterans and nonveterans with SCI were assessed at a Veteran's Affairs Medical Center from 1994 through 2002 and completed a health questionnaire that included information on alcohol use at time of traumatic injury. RESULTS: Of 362 men, 45% had neurologically complete or incomplete cervical injuries. Participants with cervical injury were more likely to have used alcohol when injured (62/162, 38%) compared with participants without cervical injury (45/200, 23%). Adjusting for age at injury and accident type, participants with cervical SCI had an increased relative odds of having used alcohol at injury compared with participants without cervical SCI (2.06, 95% confidence interval = 1.24-3.43). CONCLUSION: Alcohol use at time of SCI is a risk factor for cervical injury. This finding is of public health concern and should be included in alcohol educational programs.