Christopher E. Anderson, PHD, MSPH

Assistant Professor

Biography

Christopher Anderson, PHD, MSPH, is an epidemiologist who conducts research on health behaviors and chronic disease. The primary focus of his research is on infant and early childhood dietary patterns and their relationships with subsequent child growth. He is a national leader in research on the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), a nutrition assistance program of the United States Department of Agriculture. He has led multiple longitudinal studies evaluating associations of WIC food benefit redemption with child outcomes including diet and growth, associations of infant feeding practices with subsequent child growth, and of the associations of WIC policy changes with child diet and growth. An additional focus of his research is on the contributions of contextual factors to health behaviors like diet and physical activity. He has led studies on the associations of features of the rural built environment with physical activity and health outcomes among adults, and of the associations of the food environment with WIC participant outcomes including benefit redemption and child obesity. He is interested in how features of the built environment, such as the food environment around the residence, may modify associations between policy changes and WIC participant outcomes. The ultimate objective of his research is to develop evidence for policy- and program-based interventions to support healthier diet and physical activity behaviors that will maximize the opportunities to thrive for diverse populations across the life course.

Curriculum Vitae

Publications

Anderson CE, Yepez CE, Whaley SE. WIC service use, benefit redemption, and continued participation among participants in California. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2025. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2025.05.009.

Anderson CE, Whaley SE. Household WIC benefit redemption varies by participant and household characteristics in Southern California. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2025. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2025.01.014.

Anderson CE, Whaley SE. Cross-sectional associations of WIC benefit redemption and diet among children ages 1-4 years in California. Am J Clin Nutr. 2024 Aug 1;120(2):320-327. doi: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.06.002.

Anderson CE, Whaley SE. Surveillance of infant formula shortages in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic using Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) administrative data. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2024 Jan; 56(1): 16-26. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2023.10.014.

Anderson CE, Yepez CE, Whaley SE. Lower redemption of monthly Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children benefits is associated with higher risk of discontinuing program participation. Public Health Nutr. 2023 Dec; 26(12): 3041-3050. doi: 10.1017/S136898002300201X.

Whaley SE, Anderson CE, Tsai MM, Yepez CE, Ritchie LD, Au LE. Increased WIC benefits for fruits and vegetables increased food security and satisfaction among California households with young children. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2023 Oct; 123(10):1440-1448. doi; 10.1016/j.jand.2023.05.018.

Anderson CE, Whaley SE. Use of interactive texting is associated with higher odds of continued WIC participation during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2023 Oct; 123(10):1461-1469.  doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2023.05.008.

Matias SL, Anderson CE, Koleilat M. Breastfeeding moderates obesity risk associated with prenatal exposure to excessive gestational weight gain. Matern Child Nutr. 2023 Oct; 19(4):e13545. doi: 10.1111/mcn.13545.

Anderson CE, Au LE, Yepez CE, Ritchie LD, Tsai MM, Whaley SE. Increased WIC Cash Value Benefit is associated with greater amount and diversity of redeemed fruits and vegetables among participating households. Curr Dev Nutr. 2023. 2023 Sep; 7(9):101986. doi: 10.1016/j.cdnut.2023.101986.

Gustat J, Anderson CE, Slater S. Play Space Audit Tool “playability” scores are associated with physical activity and energy expenditure. Prev Chronic Dis. 2023 Apr 27; 20:E33. doi: 10.5888/pcd20.220247.

Anderson CE, Whaley SE, Goran MI. Lactose-reduced infant formula with corn syrup solids and obesity risk among WIC participants. Am J Clin Nutr. 2022 Oct 6; 116(4): 1002-1009. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqac173.