Who benefits more from higher household consumption? The intra-household allocation of nutrients in China

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Mangyo, Eiji
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0304-3878
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2007.03.002
• 发表日期: 2008
• 页码: 296-312
• 关键词: intra-household allocation; nutrition; elasticity; rainfall; CHINA

摘要

Previous studies find that human capital investments in boys are less income elastic than investments in girls, attributing this result to favoritism toward boys. I show theoretically that it is plausible for more productive or favored household members to have higher income elasticities. I then investigate this question empirically, utilizing panel data on individual nutrient intake from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) to analyze how changes in household per-capita nutrient intake affect the intra-household allocation of nutrients. To deal with potential biases due to omitted variables and simultaneity, I use measures of rainfall variation as instruments. I find that nutritional intakes are more elastic for males (especially prime-age men) than for females, and significantly less elastic for the elderly. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.