scholarly journals Linkages between Socioeconomic Characteristics, Food Expenditure Patterns, and Nutritional Status of Low Income Households: A Critical Review

1982 ◽  
Vol 64 (5) ◽  
pp. 1017-1025 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlton G. Davis
2003 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 589-597 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Kirkpatrick ◽  
Valerie Tarasuk

AbstractObjectives:To compare food expenditure patterns between low-income households and higher- income households in the Canadian population, and to examine the relationship between food expenditure patterns and the presence or absence of housing payments among low-income households.Design:Secondary data analysis of the 1996 Family Food Expenditure Survey conducted by Statistics Canada.Setting:Sociodemographic data and 1-week food expenditure data for 9793 households were analysed.Subjects:Data were collected from a nationally representative sample drawn through stratified multistage sampling. Low-income households were identified using Statistics Canada's Low Income Measures.Results:Total food expenditures, expenditures at stores and expenditures in restaurants were lower among low-income households compared with other households. Despite allocating a slightly greater proportion of their food dollars to milk products, low-income households purchased significantly fewer servings of these foods. They also purchased fewer servings of fruits and vegetables than did higher-income households. The effect of low income on milk product purchases persisted when the sample was stratified by education and expenditure patterns were examined in relation to income within strata. Among low-income households, the purchase of milk products and meat and alternatives was significantly lower for households that had to pay rents or mortgages than for those without housing payments.Conclusions:Our findings indicate that, among Canadian households, access to milk products and fruits and vegetables may be constrained in the context of low incomes. This study highlights the need for greater attention to the affordability of nutritious foods for low-income groups.


2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qi Cui ◽  
Jikun Huang

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impacts of large income and expenditure shocks on household food expenditures and determines whether the impacts of large shocks differ among households, especially low-income households. Design/methodology/approach The study’s data are drawn from a household survey conducted in rural China. Multivariate analysis examines the impacts of large income and expenditure shocks on food expenditures. Findings The impacts of large positive income shocks on food expenditure are moderate. However, households reduce their per capita food expenditures within a range of about 25-30 percent after suffering large negative shocks. The greatest impact is found for shocks where expenditures more than double, followed by the impact of shocks where income declines by more than half. Moreover, food expenditures among low-income households are much more sensitive to large negative income and expenditure shocks. The paper concludes with policy implications. Originality/value This is the first Chinese study to empirically examine the impacts of different income and expenditure shocks on household food expenditures. The results have important implications for smoothing households’ food consumption after they suffer from shocks.


2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nhung Nghiem ◽  
Andrea Teng ◽  
Cristina Cleghorn ◽  
Nick Wilson

Abstract Background Dietary factors are one of the most important risk factors for health loss worldwide, however there is very limited information on dietary trends in New Zealand (NZ) and whether inequities in dietary patterns are changing. Methods We employed a validated economic dataset, the Household Economic Survey (HES), which was designed to provide information on impacts of policy-making in NZ. Three HES waves in 2006/07, 2009/10 and 2012/13 (n = 9030) were used to examine the trends in household expenditure for key food groups by income-level and ethnicity. Results Overall, food expenditure per capita increased by 1% annually. In absolute terms, low-income households spent around half that of high-income households on food, but with no relative differences out of the total food expenditure or income. Māori households (Indigenous population) tended to spend less money compared to the other households, both in absolute and relative terms (ie, on healthy food including fruit and vegetables, and nuts and seeds, but with relatively more expenditure on processed meats). Similar food expenditure patterns by income-level and ethnicity persisted over time. Conclusions HES data were useful for understanding trends in food expenditure patterns, in the absence of nutrition survey data, but limitations remain. Assuming food consumption is highly correlated to expenditure, diet inequities do not seem to have improved during this recent time period. Key messages Public policies that aim to support healthy diets for all might need to involve changes to the food environment and involve government support for culturally appropriate Māori-led interventions.


2021 ◽  
pp. 026010602199266
Author(s):  
Ma. Anna Rita Ramirez ◽  
Apple Joy Ducay

Background: An alternative concept in understanding malnutrition among 0 to 59-month-old children from low-income households is to look at and understand factors contributing to their good nutritional status. Aim: (a) Compared nutritional status of children across age groups in terms of weight-for-age, length/height-for-age, weight-for-length/height and body mass index-for-age z scores; (b) determined and compared selected characteristics of children and mothers across age; (c) identified factors affecting normal nutritional status of these children. Methods: Cross-sectional data from the Philippines' 8th National Nutrition Survey among 1,990 children. Differences in mean values measured using analysis of variance; chi-square test for assessing significance of association between children with normal nutritional status across child and maternal characteristics; and multivariate logistic regression to calculate adjusted odds ratio (AORs). Results: Younger (AOR =1.63–2.54), female children (AOR=1.20), mothers neither pregnant nor lactating (AOR=1.18), have high school, vocational (AOR=1.65) or college level education (AOR=2.02), household use of water-sealed toilet (AOR=1.26), having nuclear family types (AOR=1.25) indicated protection against undernutrition. Behavior-related factors that significantly predict normal nutrition among the children were “acceptable” food consumption score among households (0 to 5 and 6 to 23 months old), delivery in health facilities (6 to 23 months old) and household use of water-sealed toilets (24 to 59 months). Conclusion: Based on the findings, activities and programs can be tailored around the behavior-related factors identified depending on the target age group, and pursued in crafting interventions to maintain normal nutrition among the children.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. e000687 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Martinez ◽  
Julia Johannsen ◽  
Gaston Gertner ◽  
Jorge Franco ◽  
Ana B Perez Exposito ◽  
...  

BackgroundStunting affects child survival and is a key indicator of child well-being. Therefore, reducing stunting is a global goal. Improving infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices is a recommended approach to reduce the risk of mortality and ameliorate nutritional status. Behavioural change interventions have the potential to improve IYCF practices.MethodsWe evaluated the effectiveness of an innovative behavioural change strategy on caregiver’s knowledge, IYCF practices and nutritional status of children from low-income households in El Alto, Bolivia. Home visits used culturally adapted participatory play strategies to promote recommended IYCF practices. A total of 2014 households with children younger than 12 months at baseline were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups.FindingsCaregiver knowledge and IYCF practices improved by 0.2 SD, as did food expenditures on recommended foods and dietary diversity. No significant effects were detected on anthropometric indicators or anaemia. Treatment compliance was 88% of households at enrolment and 66% at completion.InterpretationParticipatory play-based behavioural change strategies are a promising delivery model to improve recommended IYCF practices. After 30 months of intervention, we found sustained positive effects on caregiver’s knowledge and IYCF practices but no effect on nutritional status. Despite the lack of effect on linear growth and anaemia, our results highlight the relevance of implementing interventions that improve IYCF practices due to their importance for early development and prevention of obesity. Other contextual variables, apart from diet, that could be limiting children’s growth potential in this population need to be identified to design holistic approaches that improve child well-being and human capital.


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