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Determinants of Dietary Choice in the US: Evidence from Consumer Migration

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  • Hut, Stefan

Abstract

I study the evolution of the quality of grocery purchases among migrants to learn how changes in the environment affect dietary choice. Using detailed household level panel data on food purchases I find that healthfulness of grocery purchases is very persistent in the short-run. Three to four decades after moving, however, households have closed about half of the gap in healthfulness between the origin and destination area. The results suggest that dietary habits are highly persistent, but may eventually shift in the face of different local environments.

Suggested Citation

  • Hut, Stefan, 2020. "Determinants of Dietary Choice in the US: Evidence from Consumer Migration," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:72:y:2020:i:c:s0167629618307793
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2020.102327
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. David Atkin, 2016. "The Caloric Costs of Culture: Evidence from Indian Migrants," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 106(4), pages 1144-1181, April.
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    6. Stefan Hut & Emily Oster, 2018. "Changes in Household Diet: Determinants and Predictability," NBER Working Papers 24892, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Todd, Jessica E. & Mancino, Lisa & Leibtag, Ephraim S. & Tripodo, Christina, 2010. "Methodology Behind the Quarterly Food-at-Home Price Database," Technical Bulletins 97799, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    8. Goodarz Danaei & Eric L Ding & Dariush Mozaffarian & Ben Taylor & Jürgen Rehm & Christopher J L Murray & Majid Ezzati, 2009. "The Preventable Causes of Death in the United States: Comparative Risk Assessment of Dietary, Lifestyle, and Metabolic Risk Factors," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(4), pages 1-23, April.
    9. Hunt Allcott & Rebecca Diamond & Jean-Pierre Dubé & Jessie Handbury & Ilya Rahkovsky & Molly Schnell, 2019. "Food Deserts and the Causes of Nutritional Inequality," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 134(4), pages 1793-1844.
    10. Justine Hastings & Ryan Kessler & Jesse M. Shapiro, 2021. "The Effect of SNAP on the Composition of Purchased Foods: Evidence and Implications," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 13(3), pages 277-315, August.
    11. Richard Volpe & Abigail Okrent & Ephraim Leibtag, 2013. "The Effect of Supercenter-format Stores on the Healthfulness of Consumers' Grocery Purchases," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 95(3), pages 568-589.
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    Cited by:

    1. Marit Hinnosaar & Elaine M. Liu, 2020. "Persistence in alcohol consumption: evidence from migrants," Carlo Alberto Notebooks 620, Collegio Carlo Alberto.
    2. Hinnosaar, Marit & Liu, Elaine M., 2022. "Malleability of Alcohol Consumption: Evidence from Migrants," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    3. Katherine Harris‐Lagoudakis, 2022. "Online shopping and the healthfulness of grocery purchases," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 104(3), pages 1050-1076, May.
    4. Aguilar, Arturo & Gutierrez, Emilio & Seira, Enrique, 2021. "The effectiveness of sin food taxes: Evidence from Mexico," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    5. Hut, Stefan & Oster, Emily, 2022. "Changes in household diet: Determinants and predictability," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
    6. Leng, Ganxiao & Filipski, Mateusz J. & Qiu, Huanguang, 2022. "Impacts of City Life on Nutrition: Evidence from Resettlement Lotteries in China," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322130, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

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