May C Wang
Biographic Data
| ID | 3811568 |
|---|---|
| NAME | May C Wang |
| GIVEN NAMES | May C |
| FAMILY NAME | Wang |
| SIGNATURE | WANG M C |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of California, Los Angeles |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-8682-9789 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 30 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 82 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 30 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1996 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
An application of the augmented synthetic control method within a target trial framework: The case of the soda tax policy in California
In this study, we illustrated the use of the augmented synthetic control methodology within a target trial framework with group-level longitudinal data. Our estimates of the impact of SSB tax policy on the obesity prevalence in California were imprecise
Food insecurity among older adult Asian Americans: Concerning trends
Objective: Little is known about food insecurity in Asian Americans (AA). We examined age/ethnic subgroup differences in food insecurity among AA in California. Design: We examined associations between food insecurity and socio-demographic characteristics among AA (Chinese, Filipino, Korean, and Vietnamese) using the χ 2 test. Rolling averages were calculated to examine food insecurity trends. Setting: California. Participants: We used data from …
Changing the default meal option at university events to reduce harmful environmental impacts: Six randomized controlled trials
Animal agriculture is a leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful environmental impacts, which underscores the need to shift away from the consumption of animal-based products. One promising nudge intervention is making plant-based meals the default option, so we tested this approach at six different university events across four academic institutions for effecting sustainable dietary change. Event attendees pre-selected t…
Linking WIC program and HMO administrative data to study the impact of WIC participation
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) serves low-income women and children up to age five in the U.S. While numerous studies document the health impacts of WIC participation, these studies often lack adequate control groups of families eligible for WIC but not participating. This study sought to link a large WIC administrative dataset with electronic health records from a Health Maintenance Organization…
Exploring the role of blood pressure in the black-white disparity in cardiovascular disease mortality: A causal mediation analysis
BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death in the USA, and high blood pressure is a major risk factor for CVD. Despite the overall declining rates of CVD mortality in the USA in recent years, marked disparities between racial and ethnic groups persist, with black adults having a higher mortality rate than white adults. We investigated the extent to which blood pressure mediated the black-white disparity in CVD morta…
Health selection on self-rated health and the healthy migrant effect: Baseline and 1-year results from the health of Philippine Emigrants Study
Studies of migration and health focus on a “healthy migrant effect” whereby migrants are healthier than individuals not migrating. Health selection remains the popular explanation of this phenomenon. However, studies are mixed on whether selection occurs and typically examine migrants post-departure. This study used a novel pre-migration dataset to identify which health and social domains differ between migrants and their non-migrant counterparts…
Understanding children’s perspectives of the influences on their dietary behaviours
Objective: This study aimed to examine the intrapersonal, interpersonal, environmental and macrosystem influences on dietary behaviours among primary school children in Singapore. Design: A qualitative interpretive approach was used in this study. Focus group discussions guided by the socio-ecological model ( sem ), of which transcripts were analysed deductively using the sem and inductively using thematic analysis to identify themes at each sem …
Regional differences in the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on food sufficiency in California, April–July 2020: Implications for food programmes and policies
Objective: To evaluate regional differences in factors associated with food insufficiency during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic among three major metropolitan regions in California, a state with historically low participation rates in the Supplementation Nutrition Assistance Program, the nation’s largest food assistance programme. Design: Analysis of cross-sectional data from phase 1 (23 April–21 July 2020) of the US Census Household…
The role of income and neighbourhood poverty in the association between the 2009 Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) food package change and child obesity amon…
Objective: To determine whether a previously reported association between the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) food package change and reduced child obesity risk among WIC-participating children in Los Angeles County holds across levels of family income and neighbourhood poverty. Design: Analysis of prospectively collected WIC administrative data. The outcome was obesity at age 4 years (BMI-for-age ≥ 95…
An evaluation of the healthier dining programme effects on university student and staff choices in Singapore: A cluster-randomized trial
The neighborhood food environment modifies the effect of the 2009 WIC food package change on childhood obesity in Los Angeles County, California
The impact of the food package change was modified by the neighborhood food environment among girls only. Future policy changes should incorporate consideration of ways to mitigate potentially inequitable geographic distribution of the health benefits of policy changes
Every month matters: Longitudinal associations between exclusive breastfeeding duration, child growth and obesity among WIC-participating children
Background Research has found breastfeeding to be protective of obesity; however, this link remains contentious. We examined longitudinal associations between exclusive breastfeeding duration, growth trajectories and obesity at 4 years among children participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and whether these associations differed in the context of the 2009 WIC food package change, implemen…
Health of Philippine Emigrants Study (HoPES): Study design and rationale
Migrants enrolled in the study appear to be representative of recent Filipino migrants to the U.S. Additionally, migrant and non-migrant study participants are comparable on several characteristics that we attempted to balance at baseline, including age, gender, and education. HoPES is a unique study that approximates a natural experiment from which to study the effects of immigration on obesity and other health problems. A number of innovative m…
Widening socio-economic disparities in early childhood obesity in Los Angeles County after the Great Recession
Objective While economic crises can increase socio-economic disparities in health, little is known about the impact of the 2008–09 Great Recession on obesity prevalence among children, especially low-income children. The present study examined whether socio-economic disparities in obesity among children of pre-school age participating in a federal nutrition assistance programme have changed since the recession. Design A pre–post observational stu…
The unhealthy food environment does not modify the association between obesity and participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Los Angeles County
SNAP participation was associated with higher odds of obesity in our primarily Hispanic sample in Los Angeles County, with no effect modification found for the unhealthy portion of the food environment. More research is needed with additional food environment measures to confirm our null findings. Additional research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms linking SNAP participation and obesity as they remain unclear
Social disparities in dietary habits among women: Geographic Research on Wellbeing (GROW) Study
Objective Relationships among race/ethnicity, individual socio-economic status (SES), neighbourhood SES and acculturation are complex. We sought to answer whether: (i) race/ethnicity, individual SES and neighbourhood SES have independent effects on women’s fruit and vegetable consumption (FVC); (ii) SES modifies the effects of race/ethnicity on FVC; and (iii) nativity modifies the effect of Latina ethnicity on FVC. Design Cross-sectional surveys …
Racial and ethnic residential segregation and access to health care in rural areas
Intersection of Living in a Rural Versus Urban Area and Race/Ethnicity in Explaining Access to Health Care in the United States
Objectives. To examine whether living in a rural versus urban area differentially exposes populations to social conditions associated with disparities in access to health care. Methods. We linked Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2005–2010) data to geographic data from the American Community Survey (2005–2009) and Area Health Resource File (2010). We categorized census tracts as rural and urban by using the Rural–Urban Commuting Area Codes. Respo…
Response to Letter to the Editor by Joe Brew, Department of Epidemiology, University of Florida
Associations of Family and Neighborhood Socioeconomic Characteristics with Longitudinal Adiposity Patterns in a Biracial Cohort of Adolescent Girls
Although many studies have examined the relationship of adiposity with neighborhood socioeconomic context in adults, few studies have investigated this relationship during adolescence. Using 10-year annual measurements of body mass index, expressed as z-scores (BMIz), obtained from 775 black and white participants of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study, a prospective cohort study of girls from pre- to postadolesc…
Development and evaluation of a food environment survey in three urban environments of Kunming, China
The prevalence of overweight Chinese adolescents, and the food environments they are exposed to, deserve immediate attention. To our knowledge, these are the first food environment surveys developed specifically to assess changing food availability, accessibility, and pricing in China. These instruments may be useful in future systematic longitudinal assessments of the changing food environment and its health impact in China
The Role of Women in Food Provision and Food Choice Decision-Making in Singapore: A Case Study
As countries develop economically and increasing numbers of women enter the workforce, children are partly being cared for by someone other than their mother. Little is known about the impact of this shift in child-care provider on children's nutrition. This study presents findings from a case study of Singapore, a small country that has experienced phenomenal economic growth. Focus groups were conducted with 130 women of varying educational leve…
Influences of the neighbourhood food environment on adiposity of low-income preschool-aged children in Los Angeles County: A longitudinal study
BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined the association between the food environment and adiposity in early childhood, a critical time for obesity prevention. The objective of this study was to examine the longitudinal association between neighbourhood food environment and adiposity among low-income preschool-aged children in a major metropolitan region in the USA. METHODS: The study sample was 32 172 low-income preschool-aged children in Los Angel…
The New Food Package and Breastfeeding Outcomes Among Women, Infants, and Children Participants in Los Angeles County
Objectives. We assessed the effect of the new Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food package, implemented in October 2009, on breastfeeding outcomes among a predominately Latina sample of WIC participants in Los Angeles County, California. Methods. We used data from 5020 WIC participants who were interviewed in a series of repeated cross-sectional surveys conducted in 2005, 2008, and 2011. Participants …
Language use affects food behaviours and food values among Mexican-origin adults in the USA
Our results provide evidence that the well-documented relationship between acculturation and diet among Mexican Americans may be just one indicator of a broader pattern characterized by decreased home meal preparation and increased reliance on convenience foods
Socioeconomic and food-related physical characteristics of the neighbourhood environment are associated with body mass index
Objective: To determine whether socioeconomic and food-related physical characteristics of the neighbourhood are associated with body mass index (BMI; kg/m 2 ) independently of individual-level sociodemographic and behavioural characteristics. Design and methods: Observational study using (1) individual-level data previously gathered in five cross-sectional surveys conducted by the Stanford Heart Disease Prevention Program between 1979 and 1990 a…
Intersection of Living in a Rural Versus Urban Area and Race/Ethnicity in Explaining Access to Health Care in the United States
Objectives. To examine whether living in a rural versus urban area differentially exposes populations to social conditions associated with disparities in access to health care. Methods. We linked Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2005–2010) data to geographic data from the American Community Survey (2005–2009) and Area Health Resource File (2010). We categorized census tracts as rural and urban by using the Rural–Urban Commuting Area Codes. Respo…
Racial and ethnic residential segregation and access to health care in rural areas
An evaluation of the healthier dining programme effects on university student and staff choices in Singapore: A cluster-randomized trial
The New Food Package and Breastfeeding Outcomes Among Women, Infants, and Children Participants in Los Angeles County
Objectives. We assessed the effect of the new Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food package, implemented in October 2009, on breastfeeding outcomes among a predominately Latina sample of WIC participants in Los Angeles County, California. Methods. We used data from 5020 WIC participants who were interviewed in a series of repeated cross-sectional surveys conducted in 2005, 2008, and 2011. Participants …
Language use affects food behaviours and food values among Mexican-origin adults in the USA
Our results provide evidence that the well-documented relationship between acculturation and diet among Mexican Americans may be just one indicator of a broader pattern characterized by decreased home meal preparation and increased reliance on convenience foods
Every month matters: Longitudinal associations between exclusive breastfeeding duration, child growth and obesity among WIC-participating children
Background Research has found breastfeeding to be protective of obesity; however, this link remains contentious. We examined longitudinal associations between exclusive breastfeeding duration, growth trajectories and obesity at 4 years among children participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and whether these associations differed in the context of the 2009 WIC food package change, implemen…
Associations of Family and Neighborhood Socioeconomic Characteristics with Longitudinal Adiposity Patterns in a Biracial Cohort of Adolescent Girls
Although many studies have examined the relationship of adiposity with neighborhood socioeconomic context in adults, few studies have investigated this relationship during adolescence. Using 10-year annual measurements of body mass index, expressed as z-scores (BMIz), obtained from 775 black and white participants of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study, a prospective cohort study of girls from pre- to postadolesc…
Influences of the neighbourhood food environment on adiposity of low-income preschool-aged children in Los Angeles County: A longitudinal study
BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined the association between the food environment and adiposity in early childhood, a critical time for obesity prevention. The objective of this study was to examine the longitudinal association between neighbourhood food environment and adiposity among low-income preschool-aged children in a major metropolitan region in the USA. METHODS: The study sample was 32 172 low-income preschool-aged children in Los Angel…
Validity of the body mass index as an indicator of adiposity in an ethnically diverse population of youths
Validity of the body mass index as an indicator of adiposity in an ethnically diverse population of youths
The primary objective was to investigate the influences of ethnicity and pubertal stage on the ability of body mass index (BMI) to rank adiposity in a cohort of 402 Asian, African, Hispanic, and White Americans, aged 9-25 years. BMI was calculated from measured weight and height. Body composition and pubertal stage were determined by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry and self-rating, respectively. Multiple linear regression models with BMI, ethnic…
Socioeconomic and food-related physical characteristics of the neighbourhood environment are associated with body mass index
Objective: To determine whether socioeconomic and food-related physical characteristics of the neighbourhood are associated with body mass index (BMI; kg/m 2 ) independently of individual-level sociodemographic and behavioural characteristics. Design and methods: Observational study using (1) individual-level data previously gathered in five cross-sectional surveys conducted by the Stanford Heart Disease Prevention Program between 1979 and 1990 a…
Changes in neighbourhood food store environment, food behaviour and body mass index, 1981–1990
Objective This paper examines trends in the neighbourhood food store environment (defined by the number and geographic density of food stores of each type in a neighbourhood), and in food consumption behaviour and overweight risk of 5779 men and women. Design The study used data gathered by the Stanford Heart Disease Prevention Program in four cross-sectional surveys conducted from 1981 to 1990. Setting Four mid-sized cities in agricultural regio…
Chinese Children at a Crossroads: Influence of Family Socioeconomic Factors on Diet Patterns
This pilot study explores the roles of family socioeconomic status (SES) in influencing dietary consumption patterns in 60 Chinese elementary school-aged children (ages 6-11) in Chengdu, China. Two interviewer-administered questionnaires were specially developed to gather sociodemographic and food frequency data. Children from low SES families consumed rice and traditional staples, and high calcium drinks more frequently, and western fast food le…
Development and evaluation of a food environment survey in three urban environments of Kunming, China
The prevalence of overweight Chinese adolescents, and the food environments they are exposed to, deserve immediate attention. To our knowledge, these are the first food environment surveys developed specifically to assess changing food availability, accessibility, and pricing in China. These instruments may be useful in future systematic longitudinal assessments of the changing food environment and its health impact in China
The Role of Women in Food Provision and Food Choice Decision-Making in Singapore: A Case Study
As countries develop economically and increasing numbers of women enter the workforce, children are partly being cared for by someone other than their mother. Little is known about the impact of this shift in child-care provider on children's nutrition. This study presents findings from a case study of Singapore, a small country that has experienced phenomenal economic growth. Focus groups were conducted with 130 women of varying educational leve…
Influences of the neighbourhood food environment on adiposity of low-income preschool-aged children in Los Angeles County: A longitudinal study
BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined the association between the food environment and adiposity in early childhood, a critical time for obesity prevention. The objective of this study was to examine the longitudinal association between neighbourhood food environment and adiposity among low-income preschool-aged children in a major metropolitan region in the USA. METHODS: The study sample was 32 172 low-income preschool-aged children in Los Angel…
The New Food Package and Breastfeeding Outcomes Among Women, Infants, and Children Participants in Los Angeles County
Objectives. We assessed the effect of the new Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food package, implemented in October 2009, on breastfeeding outcomes among a predominately Latina sample of WIC participants in Los Angeles County, California. Methods. We used data from 5020 WIC participants who were interviewed in a series of repeated cross-sectional surveys conducted in 2005, 2008, and 2011. Participants …
Language use affects food behaviours and food values among Mexican-origin adults in the USA
Our results provide evidence that the well-documented relationship between acculturation and diet among Mexican Americans may be just one indicator of a broader pattern characterized by decreased home meal preparation and increased reliance on convenience foods
Response to Letter to the Editor by Joe Brew, Department of Epidemiology, University of Florida
Associations of Family and Neighborhood Socioeconomic Characteristics with Longitudinal Adiposity Patterns in a Biracial Cohort of Adolescent Girls
Although many studies have examined the relationship of adiposity with neighborhood socioeconomic context in adults, few studies have investigated this relationship during adolescence. Using 10-year annual measurements of body mass index, expressed as z-scores (BMIz), obtained from 775 black and white participants of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study, a prospective cohort study of girls from pre- to postadolesc…
Social disparities in dietary habits among women: Geographic Research on Wellbeing (GROW) Study
Objective Relationships among race/ethnicity, individual socio-economic status (SES), neighbourhood SES and acculturation are complex. We sought to answer whether: (i) race/ethnicity, individual SES and neighbourhood SES have independent effects on women’s fruit and vegetable consumption (FVC); (ii) SES modifies the effects of race/ethnicity on FVC; and (iii) nativity modifies the effect of Latina ethnicity on FVC. Design Cross-sectional surveys …
Racial and ethnic residential segregation and access to health care in rural areas
Intersection of Living in a Rural Versus Urban Area and Race/Ethnicity in Explaining Access to Health Care in the United States
Objectives. To examine whether living in a rural versus urban area differentially exposes populations to social conditions associated with disparities in access to health care. Methods. We linked Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2005–2010) data to geographic data from the American Community Survey (2005–2009) and Area Health Resource File (2010). We categorized census tracts as rural and urban by using the Rural–Urban Commuting Area Codes. Respo…
The unhealthy food environment does not modify the association between obesity and participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Los Angeles County
SNAP participation was associated with higher odds of obesity in our primarily Hispanic sample in Los Angeles County, with no effect modification found for the unhealthy portion of the food environment. More research is needed with additional food environment measures to confirm our null findings. Additional research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms linking SNAP participation and obesity as they remain unclear
Health of Philippine Emigrants Study (HoPES): Study design and rationale
Migrants enrolled in the study appear to be representative of recent Filipino migrants to the U.S. Additionally, migrant and non-migrant study participants are comparable on several characteristics that we attempted to balance at baseline, including age, gender, and education. HoPES is a unique study that approximates a natural experiment from which to study the effects of immigration on obesity and other health problems. A number of innovative m…
Widening socio-economic disparities in early childhood obesity in Los Angeles County after the Great Recession
Objective While economic crises can increase socio-economic disparities in health, little is known about the impact of the 2008–09 Great Recession on obesity prevalence among children, especially low-income children. The present study examined whether socio-economic disparities in obesity among children of pre-school age participating in a federal nutrition assistance programme have changed since the recession. Design A pre–post observational stu…
The neighborhood food environment modifies the effect of the 2009 WIC food package change on childhood obesity in Los Angeles County, California
The impact of the food package change was modified by the neighborhood food environment among girls only. Future policy changes should incorporate consideration of ways to mitigate potentially inequitable geographic distribution of the health benefits of policy changes
Every month matters: Longitudinal associations between exclusive breastfeeding duration, child growth and obesity among WIC-participating children
Background Research has found breastfeeding to be protective of obesity; however, this link remains contentious. We examined longitudinal associations between exclusive breastfeeding duration, growth trajectories and obesity at 4 years among children participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and whether these associations differed in the context of the 2009 WIC food package change, implemen…
Regional differences in the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on food sufficiency in California, April–July 2020: Implications for food programmes and policies
Objective: To evaluate regional differences in factors associated with food insufficiency during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic among three major metropolitan regions in California, a state with historically low participation rates in the Supplementation Nutrition Assistance Program, the nation’s largest food assistance programme. Design: Analysis of cross-sectional data from phase 1 (23 April–21 July 2020) of the US Census Household…
The role of income and neighbourhood poverty in the association between the 2009 Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) food package change and child obesity amon…
Objective: To determine whether a previously reported association between the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) food package change and reduced child obesity risk among WIC-participating children in Los Angeles County holds across levels of family income and neighbourhood poverty. Design: Analysis of prospectively collected WIC administrative data. The outcome was obesity at age 4 years (BMI-for-age ≥ 95…
An evaluation of the healthier dining programme effects on university student and staff choices in Singapore: A cluster-randomized trial
Health selection on self-rated health and the healthy migrant effect: Baseline and 1-year results from the health of Philippine Emigrants Study
Studies of migration and health focus on a “healthy migrant effect” whereby migrants are healthier than individuals not migrating. Health selection remains the popular explanation of this phenomenon. However, studies are mixed on whether selection occurs and typically examine migrants post-departure. This study used a novel pre-migration dataset to identify which health and social domains differ between migrants and their non-migrant counterparts…
Understanding children’s perspectives of the influences on their dietary behaviours
Objective: This study aimed to examine the intrapersonal, interpersonal, environmental and macrosystem influences on dietary behaviours among primary school children in Singapore. Design: A qualitative interpretive approach was used in this study. Focus group discussions guided by the socio-ecological model ( sem ), of which transcripts were analysed deductively using the sem and inductively using thematic analysis to identify themes at each sem …
Medicine (28 works) · Environmental health (24 works) · Gerontology (24 works) · Demography (23 works) · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet (16 works) · Geography (15 works) · Population (15 works) · Demography (14 works) · Sociology (14 works) · Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations (12 works)