Food away from home in Brazil: the role of sociodemographic factors and family structure
International Journal of Social Economics
ISSN: 0306-8293
Article publication date: 26 November 2018
Issue publication date: 29 March 2019
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to estimate the determinants of per capita expenditures with disaggregate food away from home (FAFH) including variables such as family structure.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors estimated a system of expenditure equations (SUR method) with data from the latest Consumer Expenditure Survey of 2008–2009 – (or Pesquisa de Orçamentos Familiares – POF), considering the complex sample design in estimation procedures.
Findings
The authors found a positive relationship between woman’s opportunity cost of time and FAFH spending only when the authors considered the effects of wife’s education in higher income class. Hiring domestic help diminishes FAFH spending, mostly for lunch and dinner time meals. The presence of children in the household decreases the consumption of most FAFH categories.
Social implications
Even though, Brazilian FAFH consumption has been increasing, the presence of women in the labor market seems to play a small role in the determining this type of food consumption. Family structure plays an important role in determining FAFH.
Originality/value
The contribution of the paper is to estimate FAFH expenditures at the disaggregate level and by income class for Brazil. The authors also included alternative family structure specifications as determinants in the model. The authors considered the sample design characteristics in estimation.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The author Alexandre B. Coelho gratefully acknowledges the financial support of CNPq (304763/2016-0).
Citation
Queiroz, P. and Coelho, A.B. (2019), "Food away from home in Brazil: the role of sociodemographic factors and family structure", International Journal of Social Economics, Vol. 46 No. 4, pp. 503-522. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSE-03-2018-0113
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited