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Does Health Information Matter for Modifying Consumption? A Field Experiment Measuring the Impact of Risk Information on Fish Consumption

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  • Jutta Roosen
  • Stéphan Marette
  • Sandrine Blanchemanche
  • Philippe Verger

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted in France to evaluate the impact of health information on fish consumption. A warning revealed the risks of methyl mercury contamination in fish and gave consumption recommendations. A difference-in-differences estimation shows that this warning led to a statistically significant but relatively weak decrease in fish consumption. Consumption of the most contaminated fish did not decrease despite advice to avoid consumption of these fish. Accompanying questionnaires show that consumers imperfectly recall the fish species quoted in the warning. The results suggest a relatively poor efficacy of a complex health message, despite its use by several national health agencies. Copyright 2009, Oxford University Press.

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  • Jutta Roosen & Stéphan Marette & Sandrine Blanchemanche & Philippe Verger, 2009. "Does Health Information Matter for Modifying Consumption? A Field Experiment Measuring the Impact of Risk Information on Fish Consumption," Review of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 31(1), pages 2-20.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:revage:v:31:y:2009:i:1:p:2-20
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/j.1467-9353.2008.01423.x
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    1. Drescher, Larissa S. & Marette, Stephan & Roosen, Jutta, 2011. "Consumer Acceptance of Traffic-light Labelling on Food vs. Financial Products," 2011 International Congress, August 30-September 2, 2011, Zurich, Switzerland 114431, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    2. Alessio Gaggero & Joan Gil & Dolores Jiménez-Rubio & Eugenio Zucchelli, 2023. "Sick and depressed? The causal impact of a diabetes diagnosis on depression," Health Economics Review, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
    3. Tiziana De Magistris & Teresa Del Giudice & Fabio Verneau, 2015. "The Effect of Information on Willingness to Pay for Canned Tuna Fish with Different Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Certification: A Pilot Study," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(2), pages 457-471, July.
    4. T. Bruce Lauber & Nancy A. Connelly & Jeff Niederdeppe & Barbara A. Knuth, 2018. "Effects of an Advisory Brochure on Fish Consumption of Urban Anglers in the Great Lakes Region," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 38(7), pages 1405-1421, July.
    5. Emily Oster, 2018. "Behavioral Feedback: Do Individual Choices Influence Scientific Results?," NBER Working Papers 25225, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Luciana Juvenal & Paulo Santos Monteiro, 2024. "Risky Gravity," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 22(4), pages 1590-1627.
    7. Marette Stéphan & Roosen Jutta & Blanchemanche Sandrine, 2011. "The Combination of Lab and Field Experiments for Benefit-Cost Analysis," Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis, De Gruyter, vol. 2(3), pages 1-36, August.
    8. Moon, Wanki & Balasubramanian, Siva K. & Rimal, Arbindra, 2011. "Health claims and consumers' behavioral intentions: The case of soy-based food," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 480-489, August.
    9. Øvrum, Arnstein & Alfnes, Frode & Almli, Valérie L. & Rickertsen, Kyrre, 2012. "Health information and diet choices: Results from a cheese experiment," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(5), pages 520-529.
    10. Maynard, Leigh J. & Saghaian, Sayed H. & Nickoloff, Megan, 2008. "Buyer and Seller Responses to an Adverse Food Safety Event: The Case of Frozen Salmon in Alberta," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 11(1), pages 1-20, February.
    11. Gaggero, A. & Gil, J. & Jiménez-Rubio, D. & Zucchelli, E., 2021. "Health information and lifestyle behaviours: the impact of a diabetes diagnosis," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 21/02, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.
    12. Roosen, J. & Blanchemanche, S. & Marette, S., 2009. "Verbraucher und die Vermarktung gesundheitsfördernder Lebensmittel: Von Individuellen Nutzen und Risiken zur Regulierung," Proceedings “Schriften der Gesellschaft für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften des Landbaues e.V.”, German Association of Agricultural Economists (GEWISOLA), vol. 44, March.
    13. Gaggero, Alessio & Gil, Joan & Jiménez-Rubio, Dolores & Zucchelli, Eugenio, 2022. "Does health information affect lifestyle behaviours? The impact of a diabetes diagnosis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 314(C).
    14. Emily Oster, 2020. "Health Recommendations and Selection in Health Behaviors," American Economic Review: Insights, American Economic Association, vol. 2(2), pages 143-160, June.
    15. Stéphan Marette & Jutta Roosen & Sandrine Blanchemanche, 2008. "Taxes and subsidies to change eating habits when information is not enough: an application to fish consumption," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 34(2), pages 119-143, October.
    16. Bi, Xiang & House, Lisa & Gao, Zhifeng, 2014. "Can Nutrition and Health Information Increase Demand for Seafood among Parents? Evidence from a Choice Experiment," 2014 Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2014, Minneapolis, Minnesota 170266, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    17. Erdem, Seda, 2018. "Who do UK consumers trust for information about nanotechnology?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 133-142.
    18. Chen, Rui & Hartarska, Valentina & Wilson, Norbert L.W., 2018. "The causal impact of HACCP on seafood imports in the U.S.: An application of difference-in-differences within the gravity model," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 166-178.
    19. Martin Browning & Lars Gårn Hansen & Sinne Smed, 2019. "Heterogeneous Consumer Reactions to Health News," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 101(2), pages 579-599.
    20. Engelberth, Haley M. & Teisl, Mario F. & Noblet, Caroline & Bell, Kathleen P. & Frohmberg, Eric & Butts, Karyn & Smith, Andrew E., 2012. "Econometric Analysis of Maine’s Mercury Advisory," 2012 Annual Meeting, August 12-14, 2012, Seattle, Washington 124955, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    21. Edi Defrancesco & Maria Angela Perito & Irene Bozzolan & Leonardo Cei & Gianluca Stefani, 2017. "Testing Consumers’ Preferences for Environmental Attributes of Pasta. Insights from an ABR Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-13, September.
    22. 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.
    23. Martin Browning & Lars Gårn Hansen & Sinne Smed, 2013. "Rational inattention or rational overreaction? Consumer reactions to health news," IFRO Working Paper 2013/14, University of Copenhagen, Department of Food and Resource Economics.
    24. Hirotsugu Uchida & Cathy A. Roheim & Robert J. Johnston, 2017. "Balancing the Health Risks and Benefits of Seafood: How Does Available Guidance Affect Consumer Choices?," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 99(4), pages 1056-1077.
    25. Tiantian Dai & Shenyi Jiang & Xiangbo Liu & Ang Sun, 2022. "The effects of a hypertension diagnosis on health behaviors: A two‐dimensional regression discontinuity analysis," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(4), pages 574-596, April.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C9 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments
    • D8 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty
    • I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health

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