Dual and opposite effects of cash transfer programs on dietary intake in Brazilian poor

Abstract

We assessed the dietary impact of a national cash transfer program Bolsa Familia in 17,514 Brazilian households (monthly per capita income ≤US$111) that participated in the national 2002–2003 Consumer Expenditure Survey. To study the effect of program participation on diet, we applied the residuals of 17 food groups, obtained by regressing calories from each group on total calories, as outcomes in multivariate regression models. Program participation was the primary explanatory variable. Models were adjusted for household income, number of people, proportion of children (0–19y) in the household, and percentage of food purchased outside the home. Separate analyses were performed for “extremely poor” (<US$56; n = 201) and “poor” (US$56–$111; n = 183) groups of households. For the extremely poor, program participation was associated with purchasing significantly more sugars, processed foods, pulses, milk and dairy products, and oils; and less meats and tubers. In the poor group, program participation was significantly associated with purchasing more processed foods, pulses, and fruits and vegetables; and fewer tubers. This study provides evidence that conditional cash transfer programs in Brazil have both positive (e.g. the increase in pulses and milk) and negative (e.g. the increase in sugar and processed foods) effects on diet. This dual effect may explain the lack of net impact on diet quality.