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Gao X, Li J. The nexus between internet use and consumption diversity of rural household. Heliyon 2024; 10:e35433. [PMID: 39166077 PMCID: PMC11334863 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e35433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 07/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Exploring approaches to improve rural household well-being has always been an important task. This research investigates the effect of Internet use on rural household well-being measured by household consumption diversity, utilizing the 2016, 2018, and 2020 China Family Panel Studies survey data. To assess rural household consumption diversity, we employ the Simpson index and Shannon-Weaver index. To address the endogeneity of Internet use, we regress an instrumental variable-based two-stage least square (2SLS) method. The results show that Internet use substantially improves rural household consumption diversity. The disaggregated analysis suggests that low-income and small households in Central China benefit the most in consumption diversity improvement from using the Internet. Moreover, the mechanism analysis results show that household deposits and households' beliefs about accessing commercial activities can positively mediate the relationship between Internet use and consumption diversity of rural household. Our findings provide new evidence for the literature on the role of Internet use in improving household consumption diversity in rural China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Gao
- School of Economics, Northeastern University at Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, 066004, China
- School of Business Administration Northeastern University, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110167, China
| | - Junpeng Li
- Business School, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Regional Modern Agriculture & Environmental Protection, Huaiyin Normal University, Huaiyin, 223300, China
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Swarnata A, Kamilah FZ, Wisana IDGK, Meilissa Y, Kusnadi G. Crowding-out effect of tobacco consumption in Indonesia. Tob Control 2024; 33:s81-s87. [PMID: 38253460 PMCID: PMC11187382 DOI: 10.1136/tc-2022-057843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tobacco consumption is pervasive in Indonesia, with 6 out of 10 households in the country consuming tobacco. Smoking households, on average, divert a significant share (10.7%) of their monthly budget on tobacco products, which is higher than spending on staples, meat or vegetables. Nevertheless, evidence of the causal link between tobacco expenditure and spending on other commodities in Indonesia is limited. OBJECTIVE This study aims to estimate the crowding-out effects of tobacco spending on the expenditure of other goods and services in Indonesia. METHOD This research estimates the conditional Engel curve with three-stage least square regression, where the instrumental variable technique is applied to address the simultaneity of tobacco and total non-tobacco spending. The study employs a large-scale household budget survey from the Indonesian socioeconomic survey (Susenas) from 2017 to 2019, comprising over 900 000 households. FINDING Tobacco spending crowds out the share of a household's budget allocated for food, such as spending on staples, meat, dairy, vegetables and fruits. Moreover, tobacco spending also reduces the share of expenditure spent on non-food commodities, such as clothing, housing, utilities, durable and non-durable goods, education, healthcare and entertainment, although its effect is not as large as the crowding out on food. The analysis shows that the crowding-out effects of tobacco are observed across low-income, middle-income and high-income households. In addition, the simulation suggests that reducing tobacco expenditure will increase household spending on essential needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arya Swarnata
- Center for Indonesia's Strategic Development Initiatives, Jakarta Pusat, Indonesia
| | - Fariza Zahra Kamilah
- Center for Indonesia's Strategic Development Initiatives, Jakarta Pusat, Indonesia
| | - I Dewa Gede Karma Wisana
- Lembaga Demografi, Universitas Indonesia Faculty of Economics and Business, Depok, West Java, Indonesia
| | - Yurdhina Meilissa
- Center for Indonesia's Strategic Development Initiatives, Jakarta Pusat, Indonesia
| | - Gita Kusnadi
- Center for Indonesia's Strategic Development Initiatives, Jakarta Pusat, Indonesia
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Mishra A, Jamshed M, Ahmad A, Garg S, Madsen DØ. Factors influencing the intention to purchase health insurance: a study of Indian tobacco and alcohol consumers. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1332511. [PMID: 38560431 PMCID: PMC10978790 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1332511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction This study empirically investigates the attitude of tobacco and alcohol consumers towards health insurance purchase in India. The study aims to determine the factors which plays a significant role in determining the purchase intention of health insurance among tobacco and alcohol consumers. Methods We propose an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) model comprising factors like attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavior control, perceived usefulness, perceived product risk, and intention to purchase. We collected responses from 420 tobacco and alcohol consumers through a Google Form link shared via different social media platforms. SPSS has been used to perform exploratory factor analysis, whereas AMOS has been used to validate the constructs, confirm the relationships among the variables, and analyze the data. Results The analysis outcomes demonstrate that subjective norms, perceived product risk, and perceived behavioral control are the factors that have a positive and significant effect on health insurance purchase intention among consumers. Discussion This research offers valuable insights to the insurance sector, government officials, policymakers, and academicians. Insurance companies may consider the criteria analysed when creating policies to promote the expansion of the health insurance sector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashok Mishra
- Department of Management, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India
| | | | - Asad Ahmad
- Department of Management, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India
| | - Swati Garg
- Department of Management, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India
| | - Dag Øivind Madsen
- USN School of Business, University of South-Eastern Norway, Kongsberg, Norway
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Mirzaei O, Natcher DC. Recreational tobacco consumption and food insecurity among First Nations in Canada. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH = REVUE CANADIENNE DE SANTE PUBLIQUE 2022; 113:703-712. [PMID: 35676556 PMCID: PMC9481820 DOI: 10.17269/s41997-022-00650-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Crowding-out effects of tobacco consumption refers to the situation in which tobacco consumption reduces a household's spending on other commodities. In this paper, we test for the crowding-out effects of recreational tobacco consumption on food expenditures among on-reserve Indigenous communities in Canada. METHODS We use data from household expenditure surveys (N=469) to investigate tobacco consumption behaviour of on-reserve households of six First Nation communities in Canada. Using conditional Engel curves, we estimate the crowding-out effects of spending on tobacco on budget share of other expenditure categories with a focus on food expenditures. RESULTS Our analysis showed that crowding-out effects of consuming tobacco on consumption of goods and services are minimal with an estimated impact of -0.00004 on the budget share of food expenditures in the remaining budget excess of expenditures on tobacco. While crowding-out effects are not statistically significant in general, the budget share of store-bought food expenditures is significantly lower (i.e. 5%) among tobacco consumer households. CONCLUSION This study sheds new light on some of the indirect impacts of recreational tobacco use and Indigenous food insecurity in Canada. This study is the first attempt to test for crowding-out effects of tobacco consumption among Indigenous populations in Canada. Our findings are important and highlight areas for substantial improvements in health and well-being outcomes given the alarming rates of food insecurity experienced by Indigenous communities in Canada.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omid Mirzaei
- Department of Economics, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.
| | - David C Natcher
- Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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Kandapan B, Pradhan I, Pradhan J. Food Insecurity and Malnutrition among Indian Older Adults: Findings from Longitudinal Ageing Study in India, 2017-18. JOURNAL OF POPULATION AGEING 2022; 16:1-21. [PMID: 35965640 PMCID: PMC9361951 DOI: 10.1007/s12062-022-09378-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The study aims to assess the prevalence of food insecurity and malnutrition and to investigate the association between food insecurity, sociodemographic characteristics, and malnutrition among Indian older adults. Data for 28,004 older adults (60 + years) was extracted from Wave-1 of the Longitudinal Aging Study in India, 2017-18. Bivariate analysis was used for prevalence estimates. Multinomial logistic regression provided relative risk ratios (RRR) to determine the association. About 45% of older adults were food insecure and nearly half were malnourished (underweight - 26.7%, overweight - 22.2%). Overweight was widespread in southern, western, and northern India, while underweight and food insecurity were widespread in central, eastern, and north-eastern India. Food insecure older adults were significantly more likely to be underweight (mild: RRR = 1.105, 95% CI = 1.038-1.176; severe: RRR = 1.327, 95% CI = 1.186-1.485). Rather than severe food insecurity, those with moderate food insecurity have the least likelihood of being overweight. Being the oldest, male, widowed, divorced/separated/deserted, having fewer years of schooling, living in a ST or SC household, and in rural areawere associated with higher risk of being underweight; while their other counterparts were of being overweight. No association was found between working status and underweight, meanwhile the non-working older adults were less likely to be overweight (RRR = 0.804, 95% CI = 0.744-0.868). Underweight is strongly linked to food insecurity. In terms of food insecurity and malnutrition, the most vulnerable categories identified include oldest old, widowed, divorced/separated/deserted, SC, ST, economically weaker, and persons without or with only a few years of formal education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binayak Kandapan
- Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, National Institute of Technology (NIT), 769008 Rourkela, Odisha India
| | - Itishree Pradhan
- Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, National Institute of Technology (NIT), 769008 Rourkela, Odisha India
| | - Jalandhar Pradhan
- Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, National Institute of Technology (NIT), 769008 Rourkela, Odisha India
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Wu DC, Shannon G, Reynales-Shigematsu LM, Saenz de Miera B, Llorente B, Jha P. Implications of household tobacco and alcohol use on child health and women's welfare in six low and middle-income countries: An analysis from a gender perspective. Soc Sci Med 2021; 281:114102. [PMID: 34118685 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To study the implications of household tobacco and alcohol use on child health and women's welfare using a gender lens in Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, and Nigeria with varied geographical and cultural characteristics in the pattern of tobacco and alcohol use. METHODS We identified child health and women's welfare outcomes that may be impacted by tobacco and alcohol use, with a focus on the crowding-out effects on household resource allocation. For child health indicators, we focussed on engagement in preventative care, nutrition, and responses to acute illness. For women, we focused on access to resources for health-seeking and intimate partner violence (IPV). We used logistic regression to determine the association between household gender tobacco and/or alcohol use on child health and women's welfare, using data from six nationally-representative Demographic and Health Surveys, with each having a sample size of 5000-30,000 households and conducted after 2010. RESULTS Children in households where men and women use tobacco are significantly less likely to receive the full schedule of Diphtheria-Pertussis-Tetanus (DPT) vaccine in India, Indonesia, and Jordan (Odds ratio or OR; ORIndia = 0.67, p < 0.001; ORIndonesia = 0.55, p = 0.028; ORJordan = 0.45, p = 0.048), and all basic vaccinations as well as receive appropriate treatment for fever/diarrhoea in India and Indonesia (all basic vaccinations: ORIndia = 0.78, p < 0.001, ORIndonesia = 0.43, p = 0.009; treatment for fever/diarrhoea: ORIndia = 0.65, p < 0.001; ORIndonesia = 0.50, p = 0.038). In most countries, women are significantly more likely to experience IPV when their husband/partner uses tobacco and/or alcohol. CONCLUSIONS Across a diverse set of countries with varied cultural characteristics which affect the uptake and use of tobacco and alcohol, tobacco and alcohol use are associated with crowding-out of acute and preventative health-related behaviours and crowding-in of harmful behaviours. This has significant implications for tobacco and alcohol control programmes, and positions tobacco and alcohol control as central to human capital initiatives and in achieving health for all.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daphne C Wu
- Centre for Global Health Research, Unity Health Toronto, University of Toronto, 30 Bond Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 1W8, Canada
| | - Geordan Shannon
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Luz Myriam Reynales-Shigematsu
- Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica, Avenida Universidad 655, Santa María Ahuacatitlan, 62100, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Belen Saenz de Miera
- Universidad Autonoma de Baja California Sur, KM 5.5., 23080, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
| | - Blanca Llorente
- Fundación Anáas, Carrera 11A # 90 - 16, Oficina 509, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Prabhat Jha
- Centre for Global Health Research, Unity Health Toronto, University of Toronto, 30 Bond Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 1W8, Canada.
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Witvorapong N, Vichitkunakorn P. Investigation of tobacco and alcohol co-consumption in Thailand: A joint estimation approach. Drug Alcohol Rev 2020; 40:50-57. [PMID: 32755001 DOI: 10.1111/dar.13128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND AIMS Most studies on tobacco and alcohol consumption empirically model the two behaviours separately. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the patterns of tobacco and alcohol co-consumption in Thailand, modelling the two behaviours jointly and identifying whether they complemented or substituted each other. DESIGN AND METHODS Data were extracted from the 2007, 2011, 2014 and 2017 waves of the nationally representative Tobacco and Alcohol Consumption Survey in Thailand. A bivariate ordered probit model, under which the frequencies of tobacco and alcohol consumption were jointly estimated, was performed on the repeated cross-sectional sample as well as each of the cross-sectional samples. RESULTS Based on the repeated cross-sectional sample (n = 411 981), the analyses suggested that tobacco and alcohol consumption were complementary behaviours. The predicted conditional probabilities revealed that the more frequently one drank, the higher the likelihood that he/she also smoked at a higher frequency, and vice versa. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Given the complementary nature of tobacco and alcohol consumption in Thailand, tobacco- and alcohol-prevention strategies should be realigned and better co-ordinated for greater efficiency. The net impacts of a given tobacco or alcohol policy should be incorporated into the optimal policy design to avoid duplication of efforts. Also, future studies of tobacco and alcohol consumption should consider modelling the two behaviours together using a joint estimation approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nopphol Witvorapong
- Center for Health Economics, Faculty of Economics, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Polathep Vichitkunakorn
- Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, Thailand
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Rao GN, Philips AP, Benegal V. Costs, Prohibition, and Need for Responsive Public Health Evidence. Indian J Community Med 2020; 45:381. [PMID: 33354025 PMCID: PMC7745818 DOI: 10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_267_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Girish N Rao
- Department of Epidemiology, NIMHANS, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Alexander P Philips
- Department of Public Health, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Vivek Benegal
- Department of Psychiatry, NIMHANS, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
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Nyagwachi AO, Chelwa G, van Walbeek C. The effect of tobacco- and alcohol-control policies on household spending patterns in Kenya: An approach using matched difference in differences. Soc Sci Med 2020; 256:113029. [PMID: 32464415 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
This paper examines the effect of tobacco and alcohol control policies on tobacco and alcohol consumption patterns and the evolution of crowding-out effects on other household expenditure in Kenya. The current literature on crowding-out does not provide a defensible instrumental variable for a system of demand equations. This paper uses Matched Difference in Differences (MDID) as an alternative strategy and data from two nationally representative surveys in Kenya conducted ten years apart (2005/6 and 2015/16). We find that tobacco-control policies contributed to a decrease in the proportion of tobacco-consuming households between 2005 and 2015. Alcohol-control policies were only effective in reducing the proportion of alcohol-consuming households in the bottom quartile of the expenditure distribution. Overall, tobacco-consuming households spent less on education, communication, and some food items. Alcohol-consuming households also spent less on some food items, but expenditure on transportation was the only non-food item crowded out. Tobacco and alcohol control policies, when they result in reduced consumption of these products, can increase household expenditure on human capital development in the long run.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abel Otwori Nyagwachi
- Research Unit on the Economics of Excisable Products, School of Economics, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Parliamentary Budget Office, Nairobi, Kenya.
| | - Grieve Chelwa
- Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Corné van Walbeek
- Research Unit on the Economics of Excisable Products, School of Economics, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Rezaei S, Pulok MH, Ebrahimi M. Socioeconomic inequality in tobacco expenditure in Iran: a cross-sectional analysis at national and subnational levels. BMC Public Health 2020; 20:1031. [PMID: 32600457 PMCID: PMC7325296 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-020-09144-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tobacco expenditure has adverse impacts on expenditure on basic needs and resource allocation of the households. Using data from a nationally representative survey, we measured socioeconomic inequality in tobacco expenditure as the share of household budget (TEHB) and explained its main determinants among Iranian households at the national and sub-national levels. METHODS This cross-sectional study used data from the Iranian Household Income and Expenditure Survey (IHIES), 2018. We included a total of 7649 households with tobacco expenditure more than zero in the analysis. Province-level data on the Human Development Index (HDI) was obtained from the Institute for Management Research at Radbound University. The concentration curve (CC) and the concentration index (C) were used to measure socioeconomic inequality in TEHB at national and sub-national levels. The C was decomposed to identify the factors explaining the observed socioeconomic inequality in TEHB. RESULTS At the national level, households with at least one smoker spent more than 5% of their budget for tobacco consumption in the last month. Households from the urban areas allocated less of their budgets on tobacco products compared to rural households (4.6% vs. 5.8%). Overall, TEHB was more concentrated among the poorer households (C = 0.1423, 95% CI: - 0.1552 to - 0.1301). In other words, the distribution of TEHB was pro-poor in Iran. Pro-poor inequality in TEHB was also found in urban (C = - 0.1707, 95% CI: - 0.1998 to - 0.1516) and rural (C = - 0.1314, 95% CI: - 0.1474 to - 0.1152) areas. We also found that pro-poor inequalities were higher in Iranian provinces with low HDI. The decomposition results indicate that wealth and education were the main factors contributing to the concentration of TEHB among the poorer households. CONCLUSION This study found that TEHB was disproportionality concentrated among poorer households in Iran. The extent of inequality in TEHB was higher in urban areas and less developed provinces. Designing and implementing tobacco control interventions to decrease the smoking prevalence and increase smoking cessation could protect worse-off households against the financial burden of tobacco spending.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satar Rezaei
- Research Center for Environmental Determinants of Health, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
| | | | - Mohammad Ebrahimi
- Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
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Masa-ud AGA, Chelwa G, van Walbeek C. Does tobacco expenditure influence household spending
patterns in Ghana?: Evidence from the Ghana 2012/2013
Living Standards Survey. Tob Induc Dis 2020; 18:48. [PMID: 32547351 PMCID: PMC7291959 DOI: 10.18332/tid/120936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Grieve Chelwa
- Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Corné van Walbeek
- School of Economics, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Bhuyan B, Sahoo BK, Suar D. Food insecurity dynamics in India: A synthetic panel approach. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ssaho.2020.100029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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The impact of price policy on demand for alcohol in rural India. Soc Sci Med 2017; 191:176-185. [PMID: 28926776 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.08.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Revised: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Whether raising the price of addictive goods can reduce its burden is widely debated in many countries, largely due to lack of appropriate data and robust methods. Three key concerns frequently raised in the literature are: unobserved heterogeneity; omitted variables; identification problem. Addressing these concerns, using robust instrument and employing unique individual-level panel data from Indian Punjab, this paper investigates two related propositions (i) will increase in alcohol price reduce its burden (ii) since greater incomes raise the costs of inebriation, will higher incomes affect consumption of alcohol negatively. Distinct from previous studies, the key variable of interest is the budget share of alcohol that allows studying the burden of alcohol consumption on drinker's and also on other family members. Results presented show that an increase in alcohol price is likely to be regressive, especially on the bottom quartile, with a rise in the budget share of alcohol given budget constraint. This outcome is robust to different econometric specifications. Preliminary explorations suggest that higher per capita income increases the odds of quitting drinking. Results reported have wider implications for the effective design of addiction related health policies.
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