Abstract
Although rapid urbanization is often considered as one of the most important drivers for changing dietary patterns, little attention has been paid to rural areas despite the profound transformation they have undergone. Using longitudinal data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) for the period from 2004 to 2011, this study seeks to better understand the relationship between the urbanization of rural areas and dietary transition, with the focus on nutrition intake and dietary quality. Our results suggest that with increasing urbanization, rural residents tend to have on average lower calorie intakes but higher dietary quality. Specifically, increasing urbanization consistently reduces carbohydrate consumption and reduces fat consumption after a turning point; protein consumption first decreases and then increases after the turning point with increasing urbanization. Urbanization shows a significant and positive effect on the Healthy Eating Index (HEI). In addition to sociodemographic changes, we find that changing consumer preferences and knowledge serve as important determinants in explaining the dietary transition in rural China from 2004 to 2011. In our study, urbanization appears to positively affect rural residents’ healthy food preferences and dietary knowledge. This study is a first attempt for better understanding the nutrition transition resulting from accelerating urbanization in rural China; several limitations and areas for future research have been highlighted.
Highlights
Dietary patterns have undergone profound changes worldwide, especially in a transition economy such as China in which consumers are switching from traditional Chinese food, which is largely characterized by grains and vegetables, to foods that are high in fat and protein [1,2]
The results from the MK estimator are largely consistent with the results from the random effects (RE) estimator, and the joint test of the Mundlak mean implies that individual fixed effects are to be considered
The results indicate that there exists a U-shaped relationship between urbanization and food preferences and dietary knowledge
Summary
Dietary patterns have undergone profound changes worldwide, especially in a transition economy such as China in which consumers are switching from traditional Chinese food, which is largely characterized by grains and vegetables, to foods that are high in fat and protein [1,2]. Usually a characteristic of developed economies, can influence food consumption and nutrition transition in several ways. The ongoing expansion of supermarkets and fast food chains is still mainly concentrated in regions with greater urbanization [10]. This is expected to improve the food availability and food diversity of residents; individuals have a higher likelihood of consuming processed or prepared food, or to dine out; these factors are often related to a poor dietary quality, such as through higher intakes of energy and sodium [11,12]. The manner in which urbanization affects the intake of nutrients and dietary quality, and the extent of this impact, require further attention in the academic literature
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