Declining nutrient intake in a growing China: Does household heterogeneity matter?

J You; K S Imai; R Gaiha

doi:10.1016/j.worlddev.2015.08.016

Declining nutrient intake in a growing China: Does household heterogeneity matter?

J You, K S Imai, R Gaiha

Economics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

This paper uses Chinese household data for 1989-2009 to explain why mean nutrient intake has declined despite economic growth. We focus on household heterogeneity in nutrient intake response to increases in household income allowing for its endogeneity. A quantile instrumental-variable fixed-effects panel estimation shows that rising income tends to reduce inequality in macronutrient intake in both urban and rural areas in 2004-2009. This is driven by increases in nutrient intake for the urban nutrient poor and falls in nutrient intake for the rural nutrient non-poor. On the other hand, fluctuations in prices of meat, eggs and oil increase nutrition poverty.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	171-191
Journal	World Development
Volume	77
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2015.08.016
Publication status	Published - 5 Oct 2015

Keywords

nutrition, nutrient intake, inequality, poverty, obesity, IV regression, quantile regression, China

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.worlddev.2015.08.016

On the Change of Poverty and Undernutrition in Rural India
Imai, K. (PI)
1/07/10 → 30/06/11
Project: Research

Cite this

@article{7ca328bf64774948bbaaac9edb3d9fda,

title = "Declining nutrient intake in a growing China: Does household heterogeneity matter?",

abstract = "This paper uses Chinese household data for 1989-2009 to explain why mean nutrient intake has declined despite economic growth. We focus on household heterogeneity in nutrient intake response to increases in household income allowing for its endogeneity. A quantile instrumental-variable fixed-effects panel estimation shows that rising income tends to reduce inequality in macronutrient intake in both urban and rural areas in 2004-2009. This is driven by increases in nutrient intake for the urban nutrient poor and falls in nutrient intake for the rural nutrient non-poor. On the other hand, fluctuations in prices of meat, eggs and oil increase nutrition poverty.",

keywords = "nutrition, nutrient intake, inequality, poverty, obesity, IV regression, quantile regression, China",

author = "J You and Imai, {K S} and R Gaiha",

note = "This research is funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (Grant No.: 71403282), the Humanity and Social Science Foundation of the Ministry of Education of China (Grant No.: 13YJCZH231), and the Research Project Grant of the School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development at Renmin University of China. Additional financial support from the University of Manchester (the Faculty SIRF grant) is also greatly appreciated. We are grateful to Thomas Elhaut for his support and guidance throughout this study and for his insistence on highest standards of analytical rigour. We are grateful to David Heady and an anonymous referee at BWPI for valuable comments. We also appreciate valuable comments from the editor and three anonymous of the journal. The views expressed are personal and not necessarily of the organisations to which we are affiliated or of IFAD.",

year = "2015",

month = oct,

day = "5",

doi = "10.1016/j.worlddev.2015.08.016",

language = "English",

volume = "77",

pages = "171--191",

journal = "World Development",