IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/wdevel/v176y2024ics0305750x23003431.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Can information intervention improve dietary quality? Evidence from a randomized controlled trial in rural China

Author

Listed:
  • Cui, Yi
  • Zhao, Qiran
  • Si, Wei
  • Fan, Shenggen

Abstract

Nutrition education interventions are widely used globally but with mixed results. We conducted a randomized controlled trial to examine the effects of a nutrition education and a precise message (awareness-raising) intervention on nutrition knowledge and dietary quality of households in rural China. Treatment groups first received a lecture on the Chinese Food Guide Pagoda, and then all family members were measured for height and weight and informed of household overweight status. We analyzed 358 households before and after this intervention. Participants in the treatment group increased their dietary knowledge by 6% and improved their dietary quality by 8% after the intervention. The intervention effects were stronger for households with more than 25% and 50% of overweight people. Our study provides evidence that an intervention based on general nutrition information and delivery of a precise message to households can effectively improve dietary quality. Our findings inform the food policy debate on whether nutrition information interventions are effective. Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the effectiveness of a nutrition information intervention to improve dietary quality in rural China.

Suggested Citation

  • Cui, Yi & Zhao, Qiran & Si, Wei & Fan, Shenggen, 2024. "Can information intervention improve dietary quality? Evidence from a randomized controlled trial in rural China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:176:y:2024:i:c:s0305750x23003431
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2023.106525
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X23003431
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.worlddev.2023.106525?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gracia, Azucena & Loureiro, Maria & Nayga, Rodolfo Jr., 2007. "Do consumers perceive benefits from the implementation of a EU mandatory nutritional labelling program?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 160-174, April.
    2. Belot, Michèle & James, Jonathan & Spiteri, Jonathan, 2020. "Facilitating healthy dietary habits: An experiment with a low income population," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    3. Du, Shufa & Mroz, Tom A. & Zhai, Fengying & Popkin, Barry M., 2004. "Rapid income growth adversely affects diet quality in China--particularly for the poor!," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 59(7), pages 1505-1515, October.
    4. Suman Chakrabarti & Avinash Kishore & Devesh Roy, 2018. "Effectiveness of Food Subsidies in Raising Healthy Food Consumption: Public Distribution of Pulses in India," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 100(5), pages 1427-1449.
    5. Hirvonen, Kalle & Hoddinott, John & Minten, Bart & Stifel, David, 2017. "Children’s Diets, Nutrition Knowledge, and Access to Markets," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 303-315.
    6. Salgado, Juan Carlos & Ng, Shu Wen, 2019. "Understanding heterogeneity in price changes and firm responses to a national unhealthy food tax in Mexico," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    7. Barreiro-Hurlé, Jesús & Gracia, Azucena & de-Magistris, Tiziana, 2010. "Does nutrition information on food products lead to healthier food choices?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 221-229, June.
    8. Brigitte C. Madrian, 2014. "Applying Insights from Behavioral Economics to Policy Design," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 6(1), pages 663-688, August.
    9. Kaushal, Neeraj & Muchomba, Felix M., 2015. "How Consumer Price Subsidies affect Nutrition," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 25-42.
    10. Fangfang Sheng & Jingjing Wang & Kevin Z. Chen & Shenggen Fan & Haixiu Gao, 2021. "Changing Chinese Diets to Achieve a Win–Win Solution for Health and the Environment," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 29(6), pages 34-52, November.
    11. Qiran Zhao & Xiaohua Yu, 2020. "Parental Nutrition Knowledge, Iron Deficiency, and Child Anaemia in Rural China," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(3), pages 578-595, March.
    12. Pan He & Giovanni Baiocchi & Klaus Hubacek & Kuishuang Feng & Yang Yu, 2018. "The environmental impacts of rapidly changing diets and their nutritional quality in China," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 1(3), pages 122-127, March.
    13. Zhao, Meng & Konishi, Yoshifumi & Glewwe, Paul, 2013. "Does information on health status lead to a healthier lifestyle? Evidence from China on the effect of hypertension diagnosis on food consumption," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 367-385.
    14. Fang, Guanfu & Zhu, Ying, 2022. "Long-term impacts of school nutrition: Evidence from China’s school meal reform," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    15. Caro, Juan Carlos & Ng, Shu Wen & Taillie, Lindsey Smith & Popkin, Barry M., 2017. "Designing a tax to discourage unhealthy food and beverage purchases: The case of Chile," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 86-100.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Wang, Emily Y. & Wei, Hongli & Caswell, Julie A., 2016. "The impact of mandatory trans fat labeling on product mix and consumer choice: A longitudinal analysis of the U.S. Market for margarine and spreads," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 63-81.
    2. Zuraidah Zainol & Rusliza Yahaya & Juliana Osman & Nor Asiah Omar & Mohamad Rohieszan Ramdan & Nurul Fadly Habidin, 2018. "The Role of Nutrition Label among Malaysian Consumer: A Preliminary Review," International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. 8(4), pages 1058-1073, April.
    3. Berezvai, Zombor & Vitrai, József & Tóth, Gergely & Brys, Zoltán & Bakacs, Márta & Joó, Tamás, 2024. "Long-term impact of unhealthy food tax on consumption and the drivers behind: A longitudinal study in Hungary," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    4. Jing You & Sangui Wang & Laurence Roope, 2018. "Intertemporal deprivation in rural china: income and nutrition," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 16(1), pages 61-101, March.
    5. Azzurra Annunziata & Angela Mariani, 2016. "The role of nutritional labeling in promoting healthier food choices: a review of the major issues in the EU," RIVISTA DI STUDI SULLA SOSTENIBILITA', FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2016(2), pages 107-119.
    6. Jing You, 2014. "Dietary change, nutrient transition and food security in fast-growing China," Chapters, in: Raghbendra Jha & Raghav Gaiha & Anil B. Deolalikar (ed.), Handbook on Food, chapter 9, pages 204-245, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    7. Jaya Jumrani & J. V. Meenakshi, 2023. "How effective is a fat subsidy? Evidence from edible oil consumption in India," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 74(2), pages 327-348, June.
    8. Wenyan Xu & Qiran Zhao & Shenggen Fan & Chen Zhu, 2023. "Effects of direct grain subsidies on food consumption of rural residents in China," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(S1), pages 1382-1398, December.
    9. You, Jing & Imai, Katsushi S. & Gaiha, Raghav, 2016. "Declining Nutrient Intake in a Growing China: Does Household Heterogeneity Matter?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 171-191.
    10. Cornelsen, Laura & Mazzocchi, Mario & Smith, Richard D., 2019. "Fat tax or thin subsidy? How price increases and decreases affect the energy and nutrient content of food and beverage purchases in Great Britain," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 230(C), pages 318-327.
    11. Pan He & Beiming Cai & Giovanni Baiocchi & Zhu Liu, 2021. "Drivers of GHG emissions from dietary transition patterns in China: Supply versus demand options," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(3), pages 707-719, June.
    12. González, María P. & Scartascini, Carlos, 2023. "Increasing the Use of Telemedicine: A Field Experiment," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 12850, Inter-American Development Bank.
    13. Alex Imas & Sally Sadoff & Anya Samek, 2017. "Do People Anticipate Loss Aversion?," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 63(5), pages 1271-1284, May.
    14. Fresenbet Zeleke & Girma T. Kassie & Jema Haji & Belaineh Legesse, 2021. "Would Market Sheds Improve Market Participation and Earnings of Small Ruminant Keepers? Evidence from Ethiopia," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 72(2), pages 470-485, June.
    15. Kelly Labart & Jean-Louis Arcand, 2008. "Santé et salaires : une estimation en variables instrumentales sur un panel de travailleurs chinois," Économie et Prévision, Programme National Persée, vol. 186(5), pages 89-100.
    16. Biondi, Beatrice & Cornelsen, Laura & Mazzocchi, Mario & Smith, Richard, 2020. "Between preferences and references: Asymmetric price elasticities and the simulation of fiscal policies," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 108-128.
    17. Chandana Maitra & Sriram Shankar & D.S. Prasada Rao, 2016. "Income Poor or Calorie Poor? Who should get the Subsidy?," Discussion Papers Series 564, School of Economics, University of Queensland, Australia.
    18. Balcombe, Kelvin & Fraser, Iain & Falco, Salvatore Di, 2010. "Traffic lights and food choice: A choice experiment examining the relationship between nutritional food labels and price," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 211-220, June.
    19. Kee, Jennifer Y. & Segovia, Michelle S. & Palma, Marco A., 2023. "Slim or Plus-Size Burrito? A natural experiment of consumers’ restaurant choice," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    20. Dahlberg, Matz & Mani, Kevin & Öhman, Mattias & Wanhainen, Anders, 2016. "Health Information and Well-Being: Evidence from an Asymptomatic Disease," Working Paper Series 2016:2, Uppsala University, Department of Economics.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Randomized controlled trial; Dietary knowledge; Dietary quality; Rural China;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I00 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - General - - - General
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:176:y:2024:i:c:s0305750x23003431. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/worlddev .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.