Health and Nutrition Economics: Diet Costs are Associated with Diet Quality

衛生與營養經濟學：飲食花費與飲食品質之相關性

Yuan-Ting Lo ； Yu-Hung Chang ； Meei-Shyuan Lee ； Mark L Wahlqvist

《Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition》 18卷4期 (2009/12) Pp. 598-604

https://doi.org/10.6133/apjcn.2009.18.4.21

摘要

世界衛生組織聲稱，全球糧食價格危機已經影響到大眾的健康，危及弱勢族群如：婦女、小孩、老人與低收入戶家庭的健康。經濟因素扮演一個重要的角色，並且影響個人營養狀態和健康。經濟上的因素，如食物的價格和收入，皆會影響到人們對於食物的選擇。再者，食物的花費是低收入家庭選擇較健康的食物的一個障礙。研究指出飲食的花費與飲食的品質和安全有關。食物的價格在近幾年(2007-9)劇烈的上升，已經引起全世界對於糧食安全的高度重視。持續不斷攀升的食物價格，對大眾的健康和營養狀態造成嚴重的衝擊。因此，家戶內個人可能會因為經濟因素的考量，而改變其飲食型態，進而產生一些營養過剩或營養不良之相關症狀和疾病，這可能更加重糧食不安全之情勢。目前除了家政學以外，經濟學並未整合於主流的營養學之科學與實務的研究領域。然而，經濟學讓我們瞭解社經狀況如何與營養和健康狀態交錯影響，並且尋求其解決方案。我們期許透過經濟學與營養學跨領域的合作，可以預防和管理現今的糧食危機。

關鍵字

糧食價格 ； 食物選擇 ； 飲食花費 ； 營養經濟學 ； 糧食安全

並列摘要

The WHO asserts that the global food price crisis threatens public health and jeopardizes the health of the most disadvantaged groups such as women, children, the elderly and low-income families. Economic factors play a crucial role and could affect personal nutrition status and health. Economic decision factors such as food price and income do influence people's food choices. Moreover, food costs are a barrier for low income-families to healthier food choices. Several studies indicate that diet costs are associated with dietary quality and also food safety. Food prices have surged over the past couple of years (2007-9) and raised serious concerns about food security around the world. Rising food prices are having severe impacts on population health and nutritional status. Therefore, people who change their diet pattern for economic reasons may develop a range of nutritionally-related disorders and diseases, from so-called over-nutrition to or with under-nutrition even within the one household. This is likely to increase with growing food insecurity. Presently, economics is not integrated with mainstream nutrition science or practice, other than in 'home economics', but it can enable greater understanding of how socioeconomic status may interplay with human nutritional status and health and how these situations might be resolved. Collaborative, cross-disciplinary nutritional economics research should play a greater role in the prevention and management of food crises.

並列關鍵字

food prices ； food choices ； diet costs ； nutritional economics ； food security