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The Effect of Income on Demand for Micronutrients in Poor Rural Mexico

Author

Listed:
  • Emmanuel Skoufias
  • Vincenzo Di Maro
  • Teresa Gonzales-Cassio
  • Sonia Rodriguez

Abstract

We estimate income elasticities for a variety of macro- and micro-nutrients using a sample of poor rural households in Mexico. The nutrient-income elasticity is estimated using a linear regression model controlling both for the clustered nature of our data and for the bias due to measurement error in nutrient consumption at the household level. Our preferred estimates (instrumental variable-fixed effect specification for the sample of all households) show a sizeable positive elasticity for some nutrients (especially vitamin A 0.8, vitamin C 0.69 and calcium 0.45). For other nutrients the effect of income on the consumption is still significant but very small (elasticity for fiber is only 0.09 and for iron 0.08). We also test for the robustness of our estimates using a semi-parametric estimator (partially linear model) and whether the presence of zero consumption for specific micronutrients in our sample, such as cholesterol and heme iron, can be a source of bias for our estimates.

Suggested Citation

  • Emmanuel Skoufias & Vincenzo Di Maro & Teresa Gonzales-Cassio & Sonia Rodriguez, 2006. "The Effect of Income on Demand for Micronutrients in Poor Rural Mexico," Discussion Papers 20_2006, D.E.S. (Department of Economic Studies), University of Naples "Parthenope", Italy.
  • Handle: RePEc:prt:dpaper:20_2006
    as

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    File URL: http://economia.uniparthenope.it/ise/sito/DP/DP_20_2006.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Subramanian, Shankar & Deaton, Angus, 1996. "The Demand for Food and Calories," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 104(1), pages 133-162, February.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    vitamin A ; vitamin C; folate; iron; zinc; calcium; calories; protein; fat; carbohydrates; Income elasticity; partially linear model.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • C14 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Semiparametric and Nonparametric Methods: General

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