IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/apecpp/v47y2025i2p747-773.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Real consumer food prices and child mortality: Evidence from low‐ and middle‐income countries

Author

Listed:
  • Muhammed A. Usman
  • Daniel A. Mekonnen
  • Lukas Kornher
  • Joachim von Braun

Abstract

This paper estimates the effect of short‐term changes in real consumer food prices on short‐term fluctuations in neonatal, infant, and child mortality rates using a panel dataset covering 59 low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) for the period 2000–2015. Quarterly mortality rates were constructed from over 145 rounds of the standard Demographic and Health Surveys allowing to identify short‐term (

Suggested Citation

  • Muhammed A. Usman & Daniel A. Mekonnen & Lukas Kornher & Joachim von Braun, 2025. "Real consumer food prices and child mortality: Evidence from low‐ and middle‐income countries," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 47(2), pages 747-773, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:apecpp:v:47:y:2025:i:2:p:747-773
    DOI: 10.1002/aepp.13492
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/aepp.13492
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/aepp.13492?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Christina Paxson & Norbert Schady, 2005. "Child Health and Economic Crisis in Peru," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 19(2), pages 203-223.
    2. Gerdtham, Ulf-G. & Ruhm, Christopher J., 2006. "Deaths rise in good economic times: Evidence from the OECD," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 4(3), pages 298-316, December.
    3. Sundar Ponnusamy, 2022. "Rainfall shocks, child mortality, and water infrastructure," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(7), pages 1317-1338, July.
    4. Kidane, Daniel & Woldemichael, Andinet, 2020. "Does inflation kill? Exposure to food inflation and child mortality," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    5. David Atkin, 2013. "Trade, Tastes, and Nutrition in India," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 103(5), pages 1629-1663, August.
    6. Derek Headey & Kalle Hirvonen & John Hoddinott, 2018. "Animal Sourced Foods and Child Stunting," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 100(5), pages 1302-1319.
    7. Bhalotra, Sonia, 2010. "Fatal fluctuations? Cyclicality in infant mortality in India," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(1), pages 7-19, September.
    8. Bassett, Thomas J. & Winter-Nelson, Alex, 2010. "The Atlas of World Hunger," University of Chicago Press Economics Books, University of Chicago Press, number 9780226039077.
    9. Lavy, Victor & Strauss, John & Thomas, Duncan & de Vreyer, Philippe, 1996. "Quality of health care, survival and health outcomes in Ghana," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(3), pages 333-357, June.
    10. Case, Anne & Fertig, Angela & Paxson, Christina, 2005. "The lasting impact of childhood health and circumstance," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(2), pages 365-389, March.
    11. Giovanni Andrea Cornia & Stefano Rosignoli & Luca Tiberti, 2013. "Did the 2008--2009 Food and Financial Crises Affect Child Mortality? The Case of Sub-Saharan Africa," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(4), pages 476-492, December.
    12. Block, Steven A. & Kiess, Lynnda & Webb, Patrick & Kosen, Soewarta & Moench-Pfanner, Regina & Bloem, Martin W. & Peter Timmer, C., 2004. "Macro shocks and micro outcomes: child nutrition during Indonesia's crisis," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 2(1), pages 21-44, March.
    13. Christopher Gilbert & Wyn Morgan, 2010. "Has food price volatility risen?," Department of Economics Working Papers 1002, Department of Economics, University of Trento, Italia.
    14. Miller, By Dennis D. & Welch, Ross M., 2013. "Food system strategies for preventing micronutrient malnutrition," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 115-128.
    15. William A Masters & Yan Bai & Anna Herforth & Daniel B Sarpong & Fulgence Mishili & Joyce Kinabo & Jennifer C Coates, 2018. "Measuring the Affordability of Nutritious Diets in Africa: Price Indexes for Diet Diversity and the Cost of Nutrient Adequacy," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 100(5), pages 1285-1301.
    16. Rudolf, Robert, 2019. "The impact of maize price shocks on household food security: Panel evidence from Tanzania," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 40-54.
    17. Anna D'Souza & Dean Jolliffe, 2014. "Food Insecurity in Vulnerable Populations: Coping with Food Price Shocks in Afghanistan," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 96(3), pages 790-812.
    18. Hadley, Craig & Stevenson, Edward Geoffrey Jedediah & Tadesse, Yemesrach & Belachew, Tefera, 2012. "Rapidly rising food prices and the experience of food insecurity in urban Ethiopia: Impacts on health and well-being," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(12), pages 2412-2419.
    19. Chichaibelu, Bezawit Beyene & Bekchanov, Maksud & von Braun, Joachim & Torero, Maximo, 2021. "The global cost of reaching a world without hunger: Investment costs and policy action opportunities," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    20. Arndt, Channing & Hussain, M. Azhar & Salvucci, Vincenzo & Østerdal, Lars Peter, 2016. "Effects of food price shocks on child malnutrition: The Mozambican experience 2008/2009," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 22(C), pages 1-13.
    21. Sonalde Desai & Soumya Alva, 1998. "Maternal education and child health: Is there a strong causal relationship?," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 35(1), pages 71-81, February.
    22. Jed Friedman & Norbert Schady, 2013. "How Many Infants Likely Died In Africa As A Result Of The 2008–2009 Global Financial Crisis?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(5), pages 611-622, May.
    23. Moore, Spencer & Teixeira, Ana C. & Shiell, Alan, 2006. "The health of nations in a global context: Trade, global stratification, and infant mortality rates," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(1), pages 165-178, July.
    24. Miina Porkka & Matti Kummu & Stefan Siebert & Olli Varis, 2013. "From Food Insufficiency towards Trade Dependency: A Historical Analysis of Global Food Availability," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(12), pages 1-12, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Usman, Muhammed A. & Mekonnen, Daniel A. & Kornher, Lukas & Braun, Joachim Von, 2021. "Effects of Short-Term Food Price Movements on Child Mortality: Evidence from Low- and Middle-Income Countries," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315112, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    2. Bhalotra, Sonia, 2010. "Fatal fluctuations? Cyclicality in infant mortality in India," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(1), pages 7-19, September.
    3. Pérez-Moreno, Salvador & Blanco-Arana, María C. & Bárcena-Martín, Elena, 2016. "Economic cycles and child mortality: A cross-national study of the least developed countries," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 22(C), pages 14-23.
    4. Owen O'Donnell & Eddy Van Doorslaer & Tom Van Ourti, 2013. "Health and Inequality," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 13-170/V, Tinbergen Institute.
    5. Vellore Arthi & Brian Beach & W. Walker Hanlon, 2017. "Estimating the Recession-Mortality Relationship when Migration Matters," NBER Working Papers 23507, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Anton Parlow, 2016. "State and Development: Child Mortality and the War on Terror: Afghanistan from 2007 to 2010," HiCN Working Papers 220, Households in Conflict Network.
    7. Jesse McDevitt-Irwin, 2024. "Child anemia and the 2008 food price crisis in Senegal," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 51(20), pages 637-668.
    8. Wen-Yi Chen, 2016. "Health progress and economic growth in the USA: the continuous wavelet analysis," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 50(3), pages 831-855, May.
    9. Pierre-Emmanuel Darpeix, 2019. "Literature review on the consequences of food price spikes and price volatility," Working Papers hal-02072329, HAL.
    10. Vibhuti Mendiratta, 2015. "Impact of Rainfall Shocks on Child Health: Evidence from India," PSE Working Papers halshs-01211575, HAL.
    11. van den Berg, Gerard J. & Paul, Alexander & Reinhold, Steffen, 2020. "Economic conditions and the health of newborns: Evidence from comprehensive register data," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    12. Pierre-Emmanuel Darpeix, 2019. "Literature review on the consequences of food price spikes and price volatility," PSE Working Papers hal-02072329, HAL.
    13. Ana Maria Oviedo & Harry Moroz, 2013. "A Review of the Ex Post and Ex Ante Impacts of Risk," World Bank Publications - Reports 16333, The World Bank Group.
    14. Steven Block, 2004. "Maternal Nutrition Knowledge and the Demand for Micronutrient-Rich Foods: Evidence from Indonesia," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(6), pages 82-105.
    15. Ainhoa Aparicio, 2014. "Newborn Health and the Business Cycle," CINCH Working Paper Series 1402, Universitaet Duisburg-Essen, Competent in Competition and Health.
    16. María Fernanda Rosales, 2014. "Impact of Early Life Shocks on Human Capital Formation: El Niño Floods in Ecuador," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 87693, Inter-American Development Bank.
    17. Cruces, Guillermo & Gluzmann, Pablo & Lopez-Calva, Luis Felipe, 2010. "Permanent Effects of Economic Crises on Household Welfare: Evidence and Projections from Argentina’s Downturns," MPRA Paper 42949, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Stevens, Andrew W., 2017. "Quinoa quandary: Cultural tastes and nutrition in Peru," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 132-142.
    19. Parlow, Anton, 2016. "Birth and Fertility during War: Afghanistan from 2007 to 2010," MPRA Paper 76366, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. Cristina Bellés‐Obrero & Sergi Jiménez‐Martín & Judit Vall‐Castello, 2016. "Bad Times, Slimmer Children?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 25(S2), pages 93-112, November.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:apecpp:v:47:y:2025:i:2:p:747-773. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://doi.org/10.1002/(ISSN)2040-5804 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.