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| Author(s): |
Rafael Moreira Claro
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Doctoral Thesis |
| Press: | São Paulo. |
| Institution: | Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Saúde Pública (FSP/CIR) |
| Defense date: | 2010-09-14 |
| Examining board members: |
Carlos Augusto Monteiro;
Heron Carlos Esvael do Carmo;
Dirce Maria Lobo Marchioni;
Lenise Mondini;
Rosely Sichieri
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| Advisor: | Carlos Augusto Monteiro |
| Abstract | |
Objectives: To study the influence of family income and food prices on the acquisition of items that act as indicators of a healthy (fruits and vegetables, F&V) or an unhealthy (sugar-sweetened beverages, SSB) food intake. Methods: We used data from the Household Budget Survey (HBS) carried out by IBGE between July 2002 and June 2003 in a probabilistic sample of 48,470 Brazilian households. The influence of family income and the price of fruit and vegetables and sugar-sweetened beverages on its consumption was studied employing techniques multiple regression analysis to estimate elasticity coefficients, controlling for demographic variables and price of other foods. Results: Reducing the price of F&V would increase its participation on total food purchases: 10 per cent reduction in prices of F&V would increase by 7.9 per cent its share of total calories. The increase in family income would also increase the proportion of calories from F&V: 10 per cent increase in income would increase by 2.7 per cent the participation of F&V on total calories. The effect of a raise in income tended to be lower in higher income groups. On the other hand, an increase in the price of SSB would result in considerable reduction in its consumption: for every 10 per cent increase in the prices of SSB a reduction of 8.4 per cent in the consumption would be expected. Increases in income also influence the consumption of SSB, but having the opposite effect, and magnitude less than half that observed for the increase in prices: each 10 per cent increase in family income would increase by 4.1 per cent the consumption of SSB. Conclusions: Public policies aiming the adjustment of prices - as the imposition or exemption of a tax - can be used as a tool in promoting healthy eating in Brazil, either encouraging the consumption of healthy foods or discouraging the consumption of unhealthy products (AU) | |