Food environment and childhood obesity: The effect of dollar stores

Andreas Drichoutis, Rodolfo Nayga, Heather Rouse () and Michael Thomsen ()
Additional contact information
Heather Rouse: College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Michael Thomsen: Department of Agricultural Economics & Agribusiness, Division of Agriculture, University of Arkansas

No 2014-1, Working Papers from Agricultural University of Athens, Department Of Agricultural Economics

Abstract: In this paper we examine the effect of dollar stores on children's Body Mass Index (BMI). We use data from a dataset compiled by the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement which created and implemented the BMI screening process for all public school children in the state of Arkansas. We combine propensity score matching with difference-in-difference methods to deal with time-invariant as well time-varying unobserved factors. We find no evidence that the presence of dollar stores within a reasonably close proximity to the child's residence can increase BMI. In fact, we see an increase in BMI when dollar stores leave a child's neighborhood which we interpret as a sign of neighborhood deterioration. Given the proliferation of dollar stores in rural and low-income urban areas, the question of how dollar stores could contribute to dietary health should be considered in efforts to combat childhood obesity.

Keywords: Childhood obesity; foot-at-home; propensity score matching; difference-in-difference. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C31 C33 D10 I10 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 22 pages
Date: 2014
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http://aoatools.aua.gr/RePEc/aua/wpaper/files/2014-1_drichoutis.pdf First Draft (application/pdf)

Related works:
Journal Article: Food environment and childhood obesity: the effect of dollar stores (2015)
Working Paper: Food environment and childhood obesity: The effect of dollar stores (2015)
Working Paper: Food environment and childhood obesity: The effect of dollar stores (2014)
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