Alarcón J A, Immink M D
Instituto de Nutrición de Centro América y Panamá (INCAP), Guatemala.
Arch Latinoam Nutr. 1990 Dec;40(4):518-32.
The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the impact of changes in income and retail prices on the consumption of foods by low income groups living in Guatemala. A representative sample of 200 low-income families living in a marginal area of Guatemala City, known as "El Milagro", was studied. Of five surveys conducted, two concerned food demand exclusively. In the first one the food consumption survey used was the 24-hr recall method, and the second survey was related to income expenditures, obtaining weekly information on expenses on foods and in other items. The expenditures were utilized to estimate the elasticity of demand, including foods. Total family expenses were used as an estimation of total income. Analyses of the data were obtained by forming three income groups: families with per capita expenses below the per capita cost of the foods basket; families with per capita expenses within the cost of the food basket, and the cost of a modified food basket (all expenses); families with an income above the modified food basket. The analyzed data clearly confirmed that: a) food expenses increase less as a response to income increases than expenses for other family needs; the income elasticity for foods high in carbohydrates content is lower with respect to food of animal origin and the income elasticity of the demand for rice and wheat bread are higher in comparison to the more basic foods such as beans, maize and maize products, roots and tubers.
本研究的目的是评估收入和零售价格变化对危地马拉低收入群体食品消费的影响。对居住在危地马拉城边缘地区一个名为“埃尔米拉格罗”的200个低收入家庭的代表性样本进行了研究。在进行的五项调查中，有两项专门涉及食品需求。在第一项调查中，使用的食品消费调查方法是24小时回忆法，第二项调查与收入支出有关，获取了食品和其他项目支出的每周信息。这些支出被用来估计包括食品在内的需求弹性。家庭总支出被用作总收入的估计值。通过形成三个收入组来对数据进行分析：人均支出低于食品篮人均成本的家庭；人均支出在食品篮成本以及改良食品篮（所有支出）成本范围内的家庭；收入高于改良食品篮的家庭。分析的数据清楚地证实了：a）与其他家庭需求的支出相比，食品支出对收入增加的反应较小；碳水化合物含量高的食品的收入弹性相对于动物性食品较低，与豆类、玉米及玉米制品、根茎类等更基本的食品相比，大米和小麦面包的需求收入弹性较高。
