Abstract
The provision of high-quality food is a primary factor in ensuring adequate nourishment and preventing malnourishment-related diseases in Pakistan. This study, therefore, aimed to quantify the impact of income on nutrient consumption in Pakistan, with the hypothesis that income has a primary role in reducing malnourishment in the developing world. To do this, we estimated nutrient–income elasticity—defined as the proportion of change in nutrient consumption in response to a change in income—for total calories, macronutrients, and micronutrients, using the nationally representative Household Integrated Economic Survey data (2010–2011) for Pakistan. Nutrient–income elasticity values were derived using several parametric regression approaches. We also assessed the non-linearity and endogeneity of the relationship. Calorie–income elasticity was found to be significantly different from zero, irrespective of the estimation technique used. Income elasticity for macronutrients and micronutrients was also found to be significantly different from zero, ranging from 0.29 to 0.65. This study, therefore, supports the hypothesis that increased household income likely improves nutrient consumption.
Highlights
Obtaining sufficient nutrition from food is an essential human need that remains unmet among the majority of people worldwide, especially in developing nations
A variety of estimation procedures was used in the study, by controlling a variety of variables, to demonstrate that nutrient– income elasticity is significant
Our results support the hypothesis postulated in previous studies that [3, 10, 11, 23, 34] any policy aiming to increase household income will concurrently reduce malnutrition: increases in household income are likely to improve intake of calories and vital nutrients owing to an increase in the consumption of foods with higher nutrient content, such as meat, fruits and vegetables, and dairy products
Summary
Obtaining sufficient nutrition from food is an essential human need that remains unmet among the majority of people worldwide, especially in developing nations. Both food supply and logistical requirements must be met in order to provide adequate nutrition to whole populations, ensuring that their healthy and active lifestyles are well-supported [1]. Nutrient demand is indirectly included in patterns of food consumption This is a key concern in public health; investigating nutrient acquisition and consumption by individuals is vital for informing public health policies, such as providing incentives for the consumption of nutrient-rich food to prevent malnutrition in the overall population
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