Papua New Guinea agri-food trade and household consumption trends point towards dietary change and increased overweight and obesity prevalence

Background Papua New Guinea (PNG) experienced positive GDP growth at approximately 4.3% per year during the last decade. With increases in overall wealth within the country, PNG is facing a double burden of malnutrition: comparatively high child stunting rates and a growing overweight and obesity ep...

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Autores principales: Schmidt, Emily, Fang, Peixun
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: BMC 2021
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/142619
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author Schmidt, Emily
Fang, Peixun
author_browse Fang, Peixun
Schmidt, Emily
author_facet Schmidt, Emily
Fang, Peixun
author_sort Schmidt, Emily
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Background Papua New Guinea (PNG) experienced positive GDP growth at approximately 4.3% per year during the last decade. With increases in overall wealth within the country, PNG is facing a double burden of malnutrition: comparatively high child stunting rates and a growing overweight and obesity epidemic. We focus on the latter by evaluating trends in agri-food import data from 2001 to 2018 and household consumption data from 2018 and 2009/10. Results The analysis presented in this paper raises three red flags. First, international food import data suggest that the demand for ultra-processed, sugar-sweetened beverages and food have increased substantially over time in PNG. Sugar-sweetened beverages dominated the largest growth in processed food imports, increasing by 23% per capita per year between 2001 and 2018. Second, households across the country with a greater food expenditure on sugar-sweetened beverages have a higher probability of an overweight child (under 5 years old). Last, the probability of soft-drink consumption in PNG increases with greater income acquisition and improved market access. While the price of a soft drink is negatively correlated with the quantity consumed, analysis suggests that total household income has a quantitatively larger (and positive) association with soft drink consumption. Conclusions Taxing (or increasing taxes on) sugar-sweetened beverages may not be a sufficient mechanism to curb overconsumption of soft drinks in PNG. Education and advocacy programs should be fostered that integrate improved dietary information on packaging, as well as greater access to and understanding of nutrition and diet information of common household consumption items. While increases in household income and market access are crucial to economic growth and transformation, PNG’s economic transition must be dovetailed with programs that expand and enhance health and nutrition information and education to improve household consumption decisions and overall household wellbeing.
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spelling CGSpace1426192025-02-24T06:46:04Z Papua New Guinea agri-food trade and household consumption trends point towards dietary change and increased overweight and obesity prevalence Schmidt, Emily Fang, Peixun sweeteners capacity development nutrition trade children agrifood sector household consumption overweight ultraprocessed foods obesity Background Papua New Guinea (PNG) experienced positive GDP growth at approximately 4.3% per year during the last decade. With increases in overall wealth within the country, PNG is facing a double burden of malnutrition: comparatively high child stunting rates and a growing overweight and obesity epidemic. We focus on the latter by evaluating trends in agri-food import data from 2001 to 2018 and household consumption data from 2018 and 2009/10. Results The analysis presented in this paper raises three red flags. First, international food import data suggest that the demand for ultra-processed, sugar-sweetened beverages and food have increased substantially over time in PNG. Sugar-sweetened beverages dominated the largest growth in processed food imports, increasing by 23% per capita per year between 2001 and 2018. Second, households across the country with a greater food expenditure on sugar-sweetened beverages have a higher probability of an overweight child (under 5 years old). Last, the probability of soft-drink consumption in PNG increases with greater income acquisition and improved market access. While the price of a soft drink is negatively correlated with the quantity consumed, analysis suggests that total household income has a quantitatively larger (and positive) association with soft drink consumption. Conclusions Taxing (or increasing taxes on) sugar-sweetened beverages may not be a sufficient mechanism to curb overconsumption of soft drinks in PNG. Education and advocacy programs should be fostered that integrate improved dietary information on packaging, as well as greater access to and understanding of nutrition and diet information of common household consumption items. While increases in household income and market access are crucial to economic growth and transformation, PNG’s economic transition must be dovetailed with programs that expand and enhance health and nutrition information and education to improve household consumption decisions and overall household wellbeing. 2021-11-27 2024-05-22T12:10:45Z 2024-05-22T12:10:45Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/142619 en https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134433 https://doi.org/10.1111/agec.12625 https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8489.12404 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2020.101964 https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134987 Open Access BMC Schmidt, Emily; and Fang, Peixun. 2021. Papua New Guinea agri-food trade and household consumption trends point towards dietary change and increased overweight and obesity prevalence. Globalization and Health 17: 135. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-021-00787-0
spellingShingle sweeteners
capacity development
nutrition
trade
children
agrifood sector
household consumption
overweight
ultraprocessed foods
obesity
Schmidt, Emily
Fang, Peixun
Papua New Guinea agri-food trade and household consumption trends point towards dietary change and increased overweight and obesity prevalence
title Papua New Guinea agri-food trade and household consumption trends point towards dietary change and increased overweight and obesity prevalence
title_full Papua New Guinea agri-food trade and household consumption trends point towards dietary change and increased overweight and obesity prevalence
title_fullStr Papua New Guinea agri-food trade and household consumption trends point towards dietary change and increased overweight and obesity prevalence
title_full_unstemmed Papua New Guinea agri-food trade and household consumption trends point towards dietary change and increased overweight and obesity prevalence
title_short Papua New Guinea agri-food trade and household consumption trends point towards dietary change and increased overweight and obesity prevalence
title_sort papua new guinea agri food trade and household consumption trends point towards dietary change and increased overweight and obesity prevalence
topic sweeteners
capacity development
nutrition
trade
children
agrifood sector
household consumption
overweight
ultraprocessed foods
obesity
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/142619
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AT fangpeixun papuanewguineaagrifoodtradeandhouseholdconsumptiontrendspointtowardsdietarychangeandincreasedoverweightandobesityprevalence