Effects of Family, Friends, and Relative Prices on Fruit and Vegetable Consumption by African Americans

Oleksandr Zhylyevskyy (), Helen Jensen, Steven Garasky, Carolyn E. Cutrona and Frederick X. Gibbons

Staff General Research Papers Archive from Iowa State University, Department of Economics

Abstract: We investigate the effects of parents, best friends, and relative prices on fruit and vegetable consumption by African American youths using behavioral data from the Family and Community Health Study, and area-specific food prices from the Quarterly Food-at-Home Price Database. We construct a simultaneous equation ordered probit model that accounts for social interactions in fruit and vegetable consumption and specific aspects of the available food intake data. We estimate statistically significant endogenous consumption effects between a youth and a parent. Lower relative prices tend to increase intakes, particularly in the case of vegetables; however, the statistical significance of these effects is marginal. The results suggest the existence of social multipliers in fruit and vegetable consumption in African American families. The presence of these multipliers supports the design of youth-parent based interventions to increase fruit and vegetable intake by African Americans. Additionally, intake also may be increased through relative price reductions.

JEL-codes: C35 I12 J15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013-07-17
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr and nep-dem
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

Published in Southern Economic Journal, July 2013, vol. 80 no. 1, pp. 226-251

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http://dx.doi.org/10.4284/0038-4038-2011.277

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Journal Article: Effects of Family, Friends, and Relative Prices on Fruit and Vegetable Consumption by African Americans (2013)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:isu:genres:35560

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