Prices of Unhealthy Foods, Food Stamp Program Participation, and Body Weight Status Among U.S. Low-Income Women

Qi Zhang; Zhuo Chen; Norou Diawara; Youfa Wang

doi:10.1007/s10834-010-9228-x

Prices of Unhealthy Foods, Food Stamp Program Participation, and Body Weight Status Among U.S. Low-Income Women

Qi Zhang
, Zhuo Chen
, Norou Diawara
, Youfa Wang

Research output: Journal Publication › Article › peer-review

13 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This paper examines the interactive effect between the price of unhealthy foods and Food Stamp Program participation on body weight status among low-income women in the United States. We merged the panel data of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 cohort in 1985-2002 and the Cost of Living Index data compiled by the American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association by using geographic identifiers. Using the merged data, we used panel econometric models to examine the impact of unhealthy food prices on the food stamp-eligible U. S. population. Our results indicate that higher prices for unhealthy food can partially offset the positive association between Food Stamp Program participation and bodyweight among low-income women.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	245-256
Number of pages	12
Journal	Journal of Family and Economic Issues
Volume	32
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10834-010-9228-x
Publication status	Published - Jun 2011
Externally published	Yes

UN SDGs

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

SDG 2 Zero Hunger
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Free Keywords

Body mass index
Food prices
Food stamp program
Obesity
Socioeconomic status

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Social Psychology
Economics and Econometrics

Access to Document

10.1007/s10834-010-9228-x

Cite this

@article{6ea0029037c84440ba30ce32ea007196,

title = "Prices of Unhealthy Foods, Food Stamp Program Participation, and Body Weight Status Among U.S. Low-Income Women",

abstract = "This paper examines the interactive effect between the price of unhealthy foods and Food Stamp Program participation on body weight status among low-income women in the United States. We merged the panel data of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 cohort in 1985-2002 and the Cost of Living Index data compiled by the American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association by using geographic identifiers. Using the merged data, we used panel econometric models to examine the impact of unhealthy food prices on the food stamp-eligible U. S. population. Our results indicate that higher prices for unhealthy food can partially offset the positive association between Food Stamp Program participation and bodyweight among low-income women.",

keywords = "Body mass index, Food prices, Food stamp program, Obesity, Socioeconomic status",

author = "Qi Zhang and Zhuo Chen and Norou Diawara and Youfa Wang",

note = "Funding Information: Acknowledgments This research was funded by a USDA/ERS Research Innovation and Development Grant in Economics (RIDGE) jointly with the Southern Rural Development Center at Mississippi State University. Dr. Zhang was also funded by the National Institute of Child and Human Development (1R03HD056073). We thank Professors Harold Pollack, PhD, and Willard Manning, PhD, for their useful comments. Editorial assistance from Ms. C. Kay Smith, MS, is greatly appreciated. We also appreciate the comments from two anonymous reviewers. Dr. Wang is also supported by the NIH/ NIDDK (R01DK81335-01A1). Funding Information: Qi Zhang is Assistant Professor at Old Dominion University. As a health economist, his primary research is on socioeconomic disparities in health. His projects have been funded by the National Institutes of Health and U.S. Department of Agriculture. His research has been published in top-rated journals, including Obesity and the Annals of Internal Medicine. His paper was awarded as {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}Best Research Paper of the Year{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} by Society of General Internal Medicine in 2009. He received his PhD in Economics at University of Alabama. Funding Information: Youfa Wang is Associate Professor in the Center for Human Nutrition, Departments of International Health and Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health. He is an internationally known expert with over 100 publications including over 80 peer-reviewed papers. His research is funded by the NIH and US Department of Agriculture. Dr Wang received his PhD in Nutritional Epidemiology from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Public Health in 2001.",

year = "2011",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1007/s10834-010-9228-x",

language = "English",

volume = "32",

pages = "245--256",

journal = "Journal of Family and Economic Issues",

issn = "1058-0476",

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AU - Zhang, Qi

AU - Chen, Zhuo

AU - Diawara, Norou

AU - Wang, Youfa

N1 - Funding Information: Acknowledgments This research was funded by a USDA/ERS Research Innovation and Development Grant in Economics (RIDGE) jointly with the Southern Rural Development Center at Mississippi State University. Dr. Zhang was also funded by the National Institute of Child and Human Development (1R03HD056073). We thank Professors Harold Pollack, PhD, and Willard Manning, PhD, for their useful comments. Editorial assistance from Ms. C. Kay Smith, MS, is greatly appreciated. We also appreciate the comments from two anonymous reviewers. Dr. Wang is also supported by the NIH/ NIDDK (R01DK81335-01A1). Funding Information: Qi Zhang is Assistant Professor at Old Dominion University. As a health economist, his primary research is on socioeconomic disparities in health. His projects have been funded by the National Institutes of Health and U.S. Department of Agriculture. His research has been published in top-rated journals, including Obesity and the Annals of Internal Medicine. His paper was awarded as ‘‘Best Research Paper of the Year’’ by Society of General Internal Medicine in 2009. He received his PhD in Economics at University of Alabama. Funding Information: Youfa Wang is Associate Professor in the Center for Human Nutrition, Departments of International Health and Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health. He is an internationally known expert with over 100 publications including over 80 peer-reviewed papers. His research is funded by the NIH and US Department of Agriculture. Dr Wang received his PhD in Nutritional Epidemiology from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Public Health in 2001.

PY - 2011/6

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N2 - This paper examines the interactive effect between the price of unhealthy foods and Food Stamp Program participation on body weight status among low-income women in the United States. We merged the panel data of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 cohort in 1985-2002 and the Cost of Living Index data compiled by the American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association by using geographic identifiers. Using the merged data, we used panel econometric models to examine the impact of unhealthy food prices on the food stamp-eligible U. S. population. Our results indicate that higher prices for unhealthy food can partially offset the positive association between Food Stamp Program participation and bodyweight among low-income women.

AB - This paper examines the interactive effect between the price of unhealthy foods and Food Stamp Program participation on body weight status among low-income women in the United States. We merged the panel data of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 cohort in 1985-2002 and the Cost of Living Index data compiled by the American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association by using geographic identifiers. Using the merged data, we used panel econometric models to examine the impact of unhealthy food prices on the food stamp-eligible U. S. population. Our results indicate that higher prices for unhealthy food can partially offset the positive association between Food Stamp Program participation and bodyweight among low-income women.

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KW - Obesity

KW - Socioeconomic status

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IS - 2

ER -

Prices of Unhealthy Foods, Food Stamp Program Participation, and Body Weight Status Among U.S. Low-Income Women

Abstract

UN SDGs

Free Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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