Estimating the cost and affordability of healthy diets: How much do methods matter?
Recently developed cost and affordability of healthy diet (CoAHD) metrics have quickly become mainstream food security indicators. However, published research on the sensitivity of estimation methods is limited. This paper focuses on two important innovations in CoAHD measurement at the global level...
| Autores principales: | , , |
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| Formato: | Journal Article |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
| Publicado: |
Elsevier
2024
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/145261 |
| _version_ | 1855542192618078208 |
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| author | Headey, Derek D. Hirvonen, Kalle Alderman, Harold |
| author_browse | Alderman, Harold Headey, Derek D. Hirvonen, Kalle |
| author_facet | Headey, Derek D. Hirvonen, Kalle Alderman, Harold |
| author_sort | Headey, Derek D. |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | Recently developed cost and affordability of healthy diet (CoAHD) metrics have quickly become mainstream food security indicators. However, published research on the sensitivity of estimation methods is limited. This paper focuses on two important innovations in CoAHD measurement at the global level. First, we develop a demographic scaling factor to adjust healthy diet costs for cross-country differences in age structures, since younger populations generally require fewer calories than older populations. Second, we improve the way in which household expenditure available for purchasing food (“food budgets”) are derived. In addition, we explore sensitivity of global CoAHD estimates to potential problems with the representativeness and food product coverage of global food price data and vary assumptions for activity levels that shape energy expenditure requirements. We apply these explorations to the EAT-Lancet reference diet in 137 countries using price data from 2017. Relative to the conventional methods, we find that demographic scaling and improved food budget derivation substantially reduces the estimated population who cannot afford a healthy diet, from 3.02 to 2.13 billion. Adjustments for low product coverage can lead to modest reductions for specific regions and food groups, while higher physical activity assumptions increase the share of people who cannot afford a healthy diet, though perhaps implausibly so. Methods clearly matter in CoAHD estimation, and more accurate and timelier CoAHD estimates have substantial scope to improve policy analysis, design and targeting. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace145261 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publishDateRange | 2024 |
| publishDateSort | 2024 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| publisherStr | Elsevier |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1452612025-10-26T12:51:18Z Estimating the cost and affordability of healthy diets: How much do methods matter? Headey, Derek D. Hirvonen, Kalle Alderman, Harold affordability food security healthy diets prices Recently developed cost and affordability of healthy diet (CoAHD) metrics have quickly become mainstream food security indicators. However, published research on the sensitivity of estimation methods is limited. This paper focuses on two important innovations in CoAHD measurement at the global level. First, we develop a demographic scaling factor to adjust healthy diet costs for cross-country differences in age structures, since younger populations generally require fewer calories than older populations. Second, we improve the way in which household expenditure available for purchasing food (“food budgets”) are derived. In addition, we explore sensitivity of global CoAHD estimates to potential problems with the representativeness and food product coverage of global food price data and vary assumptions for activity levels that shape energy expenditure requirements. We apply these explorations to the EAT-Lancet reference diet in 137 countries using price data from 2017. Relative to the conventional methods, we find that demographic scaling and improved food budget derivation substantially reduces the estimated population who cannot afford a healthy diet, from 3.02 to 2.13 billion. Adjustments for low product coverage can lead to modest reductions for specific regions and food groups, while higher physical activity assumptions increase the share of people who cannot afford a healthy diet, though perhaps implausibly so. Methods clearly matter in CoAHD estimation, and more accurate and timelier CoAHD estimates have substantial scope to improve policy analysis, design and targeting. 2024-07 2024-06-14T17:17:48Z 2024-06-14T17:17:48Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/145261 en https://hdl.handle.net/10568/140327 https://hdl.handle.net/10568/142772 Open Access Elsevier Headey, Derek D.; Hirvonen, Kalle; and Alderman, Harold. 2024. Estimating the cost and affordability of healthy diets: How much do methods matter? Food Policy 126(July 2024): 102654. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2024.102654 |
| spellingShingle | affordability food security healthy diets prices Headey, Derek D. Hirvonen, Kalle Alderman, Harold Estimating the cost and affordability of healthy diets: How much do methods matter? |
| title | Estimating the cost and affordability of healthy diets: How much do methods matter? |
| title_full | Estimating the cost and affordability of healthy diets: How much do methods matter? |
| title_fullStr | Estimating the cost and affordability of healthy diets: How much do methods matter? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Estimating the cost and affordability of healthy diets: How much do methods matter? |
| title_short | Estimating the cost and affordability of healthy diets: How much do methods matter? |
| title_sort | estimating the cost and affordability of healthy diets how much do methods matter |
| topic | affordability food security healthy diets prices |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/145261 |
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