Consumption Patterns over Pay Periods

This paper establishes a theoretical framework to characterise the optimal behaviour of individuals who receive income periodically but make consumption decisions at frequent points during that period, when there is uncertainty with respect to prices and imperfect credit markets. We simulate the numerical solution to this model and find that optimal consumption is u-shaped over the pay period. We apply the model to weekly expenditure data from the FES to estimate the coefficient of relative risk aversion (preliminary point estimates are around 6) and the extent of measurement error in the data (which accounts for approximately 50% of the variance in the data).

Estimating the Distribution of Dietary Consumption Patterns

In the United States the preferred method of obtaining dietary intake data is the 24-hour dietary recall, yet the measure of most interest is usual or long-term average daily intake, which is impossible to measure. Thus, usual dietary intake is assessed with considerable measurement error. We were interested in estimating the population distribution of the Healthy Eating Index-2005 (HEI-2005), a multi-component dietary quality index involving ratios of interrelated dietary components to energy, among children aged 2-8 in the United States, using a national survey and incorporating survey weights. We developed a highly nonlinear, multivariate zero-inflated data model with measurement error to address this question. Standard nonlinear mixed model software such as SAS NLMIXED cannot handle this problem. We found that taking a Bayesian approach, and using MCMC, resolved the computational issues and doing so enabled us to provide a realistic distribution estimate for the HEI-2005 total score. While our computation and thinking in solving this problem was Bayesian, we relied on the well-known close relationship between Bayesian posterior means and maximum likelihood, the latter not computationally feasible, and thus were able to develop standard errors using balanced repeated replication, a survey-sampling approach.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/12-STS413 the Statistical Science (http://www.imstat.org/sts/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org). arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1107.486

Consumption Patterns Over Pay Periods

This paper establishes a theoretical framework to characterise the optimal behaviour of individuals who receive income periodically but make consumption decisions on a more frequent basis. The model incorporates price uncertainty and imperfect credit markets. The simulated numerical solution to this model shows that weekly consumption functions are ordered such that the functions within the payment period are highest in the first and the last week of the payment cycle for all wealth levels. Using weekly expenditure data from the FES, we estimate the coefficient of relative risk aversion (point estimates are between 1.2 and 7) and the extent of measurement error in the data (which accounts for approximately 60% of the variance in the data).Consumption ; liquidity constraints ; uncertainty ; credit cards

FOOD CONSUMPTION PATTERNS IN TWO COMMUNITIES

A survey on food consumption patterns was conducted in an urban black community and a rural black community. Urban consumers tend to consume more bread, and less maize meal than rural consumers. Urban consumers consume more meat than poverty-stricken rural dwellers. The same is true with respect to fruit and ready-made foods. Both quality and price are important considerations for consumers' food purchases, particularly rural consumers. Price appears to be less important to the higher income (> R2000 per month) consumers in purchases of bread and meat, but rather important in vegetable purchases. Almost 60 per cent never consume food at away from home food establishments.Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

A CROSS SECTIONAL ANALYSIS OF CONSUMER TRENDS IN RED MEAT CONSUMPTION

Food consumption patterns have received considerable attention lately, especially changes in red meat consumption. This article examines and analyzes changes in meat consumption patterns in a southern state. Differences are reported based on demographics and consumer expressed preferences. The results reaffirm the negative role of health concerns and fat on red meat consumption and the positive influence on poultry and seafood. The findings agree with related other studies and suggest that further research into the changing meat consumption patterns is warranted.Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Policies to promote sustainable consumption: framework for a future-oriented evaluation

Governments are today developing policies to promote sustainable consumption, yet policy makers face many uncertainties about policy impacts. These include uncertainties about how policy instruments influence consumption patterns and about the impact of changes in consumption patterns on ecological, social and economic sustainability. An assessment of such impacts must account for the fact that consumer action is interlinked with the dynamic activities of other market players and the path-creating effects of technologies and systems of consumption and provision

Environmentally conscious consumption patterns in Hungarian households

This article provides a comprehensive review of the literature on the theoretical aspects of sustainable consumption. The conditions for consumers’ social responsibility and the formation of environmentally conscious behavior patterns will also be discussed, along with possible methods for motivating behavioral changes. The authors have completed a primary research study with the purpose of surveying environmentally conscious consumption patterns in Hungary. They also examined how the provision of appropriate information and the raising of awareness might encourage sustainable consumption. According to their findings, the respondents’ knowledge on environmentally conscious behavior was rather limited, and reinforcement was needed in identifying appropriate activity alternatives. This paper provides a summary of the qualitative research phase which employed in-depth interviews, logging and focus groups. The consecutive application of these methods enabled the authors to keep track of the process and the consequences of raising awareness

Consumption Patterns of the New Elite in Zimbabwe

Since Zimbabwean independence in 1980, a small percentage of the black population has become wealthy. This paper and a companion video explore the consumption patterns of members of this new black elite in post-colonial Zimbabwe. Given the violent war of independence and the avowedly socialist objectives of the new government, one expectation might be that the new black elite would seek to distinguish their lifestyles from those of the former colonialists. On the other hand, it could be argued that taking over the privileges of the former colonialists would be regarded as an authenticating mark of status for these black elites. And another possibility, in our increasingly global world, is that consumption referents may not come from Zimbabwe at all, but rather from media images of consumption in other parts of the world. This qualitative study finds that the consumption patterns of these nouveaux riches largely, but not entirely, emulate those of the former colonialists. In addition, informats clearly look to the West, particularly the U.S. and the U.K., for social comparisons. One negative effect of the enhanced economic status of the new elite in Zimbabwe is a tendency to eschew extended family support which is the traditional form of social security in much of Africa. Besides their increased wealth, for some, fundamentalist religion provides another rationale for neglecting extended family. Rising individualism and retreat to the nuclear family promote tension within the extended family and envy among others. Implications for understanding class structure and it implications in developing nations are addressed.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/39672/3/wp288.pd

Organic Food Consumption Patterns in France

This research addresses two important issues for the future expansion of organic consumption in France. The first one is related to knowing whether the organic choice is a permanent feature of consumer’s attitude or not: Do organic buyers occasionally pick one organic product or do they choose organic for “several” categories? The second issue concerns the impact of prices on buying organics which is revisited, distinguishing between capturing new consumers and increasing the demand coming from people already involved in organic markets. These questions are examined using the market basket approach; the price issue requires further estimations of demand models. The study relies on two staple food products, eggs and milk. The findings are : (i) choosing organic for one of the two items reinforces the probability of purchasing also the organic version of the second item; (ii) marginal reductions of the organic price have no impact on the decision of buying organic rather than conventional products; (iii) on the contrary, when people already purchase organic products, price elasticities are rather high; (iv) organic buyers’ demographic profile is not related to income neither to age nor to family size, but to the educational level.market basket approach, purchasing behavior, logit model, Consumer/Household Economics, Demand and Price Analysis, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, C35, D12, Q13,