Food Spending by Female-Headed Households

Elizabeth Frazao

No 157029, Technical Bulletins from United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service

Abstract: The results of this study suggest that, on a per person basis, female-headed households spend less for food than do similar two-parent households. The presence of a male head influences food expenditures less than household income and education level of the female head. Low income and low education levels are two characteristics associated· with female-headed households. Female-headed households constitute a growing proportion of the total population, particularly of the population receiving food assistance. Identifying the causes for lower food expenditures among female-headed households should help programs aimed at increasing food expenditures among female-headed households. Analysis of expenditure patterns among 15 food categories reveals that the factors that influence a household's decision to purchase a particular food category differ from the factors that influence the decision of how much to spend for that food category. For this reason, the tobit model is rejected, and a two-step decision model is recommended.

Keywords: Consumer/Household Economics; Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety; Research Methods/Statistical Methods (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 61
Date: 1992-07
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:uerstb:157029

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.157029

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