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The impact of famine experience on middle-aged and elderly individuals’ food consumption: Evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Fang, Feifan
  • Zhao, Yinyu
  • Xi, Zemiao
  • Han, Xinru
  • Zhu, Yuchun

Abstract

People’s behaviors are influenced by past experiences. Against the background of the famine that occurred in China from 1959 to 1961 and based on China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) data from 2004 to 2011, we take advantage of both temporal and geographic variations in famine intensity to explore the long-term effects of famine experience on food consumption and examine the heterogeneous effecs across age cohorts by constructing a continuous difference-in-differences (DID) estimator. We find that famine experience affects people’s food consumption behavior in the long term. Compared with the group that did not experience the famine, the consumption of staple foods increased while the consumption of meat and vegetables decreased for the group with famine experience, and this effect was heterogeneous across age cohorts and was most significant for the group that experienced famine in their 30 s. The effect of famine experience on food consumption was significantly heterogeneous across regions, household sizes, and income groups. The findings of this paper contribute to a better understanding of the long-term effects of famine experience on food consumption and provide a basis for improving the dietary quality of older adults.

Suggested Citation

  • Fang, Feifan & Zhao, Yinyu & Xi, Zemiao & Han, Xinru & Zhu, Yuchun, 2023. "The impact of famine experience on middle-aged and elderly individuals’ food consumption: Evidence from China," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 26(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joecag:v:26:y:2023:i:c:s2212828x23000324
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jeoa.2023.100472
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    Cited by:

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    2. Hao Feng, 2025. "Using clean fuels promotes diverse diets and health in Chinese households," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 17(5), pages 1207-1222, October.

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    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making

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