The Demand for Higher-Status Food and Nutrition in Rural India: The Experience of Matar Taluka. II. Regression Analyses

Abstract

This article is a continuation of one that appeared in the previous issue of the Food and Nutrition Bulletin (vol. 8, no. 2). This segment presents the results of regression analyses to determine the influence of variables including production profiles, housing conditions, and durable asset scores on food purchase patterns. Dr. Shah identifies two components of food costs: one to obtain sufficient nutrients (nutrient costs), and the other to satisfy preferences (preference costs). In examining total expenditures on foods from both status and basic groups, he finds that households deficient in calories are more willing than non-deficient households to pay for higher-preference foods that are not as cost-effective in terms of nutrients. There is a need for studies among other populations to determine the extent to which Dr. Shah's findings concerning the purchase of status foods are a generalized phenomenon.