Does Internet use connect smallholder farmers to a healthy diet? Evidence from rural China
IntroductionUndernutrition and micronutrient malnutrition remain problems of significant magnitude among small-scale subsistence farmers, posing a serious threat to their health and well-being. Developing a healthy diet can effectively reduce this threat. Fortunately, the Internet can speed up the p...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Nutrition |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2023.1122677/full |
| _version_ | 1797843774245699584 |
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| author | Mingwei Yang Mingwei Yang Zhiyong Zhang Zheng Wang Zheng Wang |
| author_facet | Mingwei Yang Mingwei Yang Zhiyong Zhang Zheng Wang Zheng Wang |
| author_sort | Mingwei Yang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionUndernutrition and micronutrient malnutrition remain problems of significant magnitude among small-scale subsistence farmers, posing a serious threat to their health and well-being. Developing a healthy diet can effectively reduce this threat. Fortunately, the Internet can speed up the process.MethodsBased on survey data from 5,114 farm households in nine provinces in China, this study quantitatively assesses the impact of Internet use on the dietary quality of smallholder farmers using OLS regression models and PSM models.Results/Discussion(1) Internet use can significantly contribute to dietary diversity and dietary rationality among smallholder farmers, thus optimizing their dietary structure. (2) Internet use significantly increased the average consumption amounts of milk and its products (2.9 g), fruits (21.5 g), eggs (7.5 g), and vegetables (27.1 g), while also decreasing the intake of salts (1.5 g) and oil (3.8 g). (3) The pull of internet use to improve diet quality is more significant for smallholder households with lower levels of education, older heads of households, and higher household incomes. (4) A possible mechanism is that Internet use increases household income and information access skills of rural residents, thus improving their dietary quality. In summary, governments should further promote Internet penetration in rural areas for health purposes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:11:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4e3dbe7b4dd54c7b99bde1cad3eff56d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-861X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:11:21Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Nutrition |
| spelling | doaj.art-4e3dbe7b4dd54c7b99bde1cad3eff56d2023-04-20T05:53:27ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Nutrition2296-861X2023-04-011010.3389/fnut.2023.11226771122677Does Internet use connect smallholder farmers to a healthy diet? Evidence from rural ChinaMingwei Yang0Mingwei Yang1Zhiyong Zhang2Zheng Wang3Zheng Wang4Research Center for Economy of Upper Reaches of the Yangtse River, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing, ChinaQinghai University Library, Qinghai University, Xining, Qinghai, ChinaResearch Center for Economy of Upper Reaches of the Yangtse River, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing, ChinaResearch Center for Economy of Upper Reaches of the Yangtse River, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing, ChinaSchool of Economics and Management, Taiyuan Normal University, Taiyuan, ChinaIntroductionUndernutrition and micronutrient malnutrition remain problems of significant magnitude among small-scale subsistence farmers, posing a serious threat to their health and well-being. Developing a healthy diet can effectively reduce this threat. Fortunately, the Internet can speed up the process.MethodsBased on survey data from 5,114 farm households in nine provinces in China, this study quantitatively assesses the impact of Internet use on the dietary quality of smallholder farmers using OLS regression models and PSM models.Results/Discussion(1) Internet use can significantly contribute to dietary diversity and dietary rationality among smallholder farmers, thus optimizing their dietary structure. (2) Internet use significantly increased the average consumption amounts of milk and its products (2.9 g), fruits (21.5 g), eggs (7.5 g), and vegetables (27.1 g), while also decreasing the intake of salts (1.5 g) and oil (3.8 g). (3) The pull of internet use to improve diet quality is more significant for smallholder households with lower levels of education, older heads of households, and higher household incomes. (4) A possible mechanism is that Internet use increases household income and information access skills of rural residents, thus improving their dietary quality. In summary, governments should further promote Internet penetration in rural areas for health purposes.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2023.1122677/fulldietary diversitydietary rationalityrural residentsInternet usesmallholder farmers |
| spellingShingle | Mingwei Yang Mingwei Yang Zhiyong Zhang Zheng Wang Zheng Wang Does Internet use connect smallholder farmers to a healthy diet? Evidence from rural China Frontiers in Nutrition dietary diversity dietary rationality rural residents Internet use smallholder farmers |
| title | Does Internet use connect smallholder farmers to a healthy diet? Evidence from rural China |
| title_full | Does Internet use connect smallholder farmers to a healthy diet? Evidence from rural China |
| title_fullStr | Does Internet use connect smallholder farmers to a healthy diet? Evidence from rural China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Does Internet use connect smallholder farmers to a healthy diet? Evidence from rural China |
| title_short | Does Internet use connect smallholder farmers to a healthy diet? Evidence from rural China |
| title_sort | does internet use connect smallholder farmers to a healthy diet evidence from rural china |
| topic | dietary diversity dietary rationality rural residents Internet use smallholder farmers |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2023.1122677/full |
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