| Full text | |
| Author(s): |
Rafael Moreira Claro
[1]
;
Carlos Augusto Monteiro
Total Authors: 2
|
| Affiliation: | [1] Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Saúde Pública. Departamento de Nutrição - Brasil
Total Affiliations: 2
|
| Document type: | Journal article |
| Source: | Revista de Saúde Pública; v. 44, n. 6, p. 1014-1020, 2010-12-00. |
| Field of knowledge: | Health Sciences - Nutrition |
| Abstract | |
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the influence of family income and food prices on the participation of fruits and vegetables in the food purchases of Brazilian households. METHODS: Data analyzed refers to the Household Budget Survey conducted by the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística on a probabilistic sample of 48,470 Brazilian households between 2002 and 2003. Fruit and vegetable participation in total food purchases was expressed as a percentage of total calories purchased and as calories from fruit and vegetables adjusted for total calories purchased. A multiple regression analysis was employed to estimate elasticity coefficients, controlling for sociodemographic variables and price of other foods. RESULTS: Fruit and vegetable participation in total food purchases increased as the price of these foods decreased, or as income increased. A 1% decrease in the price of fruit and vegetables would increase their participation by 0.79%, whereas a 1% increase in family income would increase participation by 0.27%. The effect of income tended to be smaller among higher income strata. CONCLUSIONS: Reducing the price of fruit and vegetables, either by supporting their production or through fiscal measures, is a promising public policy instrument, capable of increasing the participation of these foods in the diet of the Brazilian population. (AU) | |