RESUMEN
Despite the efforts made to promote consumption, some countries are not increasing their fruit and vegetable intake, while household structures are undergoing relevant changes. Fruit and vegetable consumption is necessary but not sufficient for a healthy diet. Previous research has linked adequate fruit and vegetable consumption to a lower risk of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and some mental health conditions. Furthermore, millions of deaths are reported annually worldwide due to diets low in fruit and vegetables, highlighting their critical public health importance. This study aims to separately analyze the purchases of fruit and vegetables in single-person households. We used three waves of the Family Budget Survey, Encuesta de Presupuestos Familiares, in Chile, which is nationally representative of urban areas and includes over 10,000 households in each wave. We employed descriptive statistics to examine the characteristics of the head of household and the food shopper as well as the structure, composition, and overall characteristics of households. Additionally, we performed separate analyses for fruit and vegetable purchases, using these variables to determine the marginal effect on the probability of purchasing fruit or vegetables through probit models. Results show that, from 2011-2012 to 2021-2022, the share of households not purchasing fruit and vegetables increased from 5.0% to 8.4% and that, in single-person households, it rose from 11.2% to 19.1%. Male-headed, single-person households with low education and income were more likely not to purchase fruit, and these households also have decreasing vegetable purchases. Additionally, household income significantly impacts fruit purchases but does not significantly affect vegetable purchases. Our findings highlight the importance of considering single-person households as a target population segment for future public policies to promote fruit and vegetable consumption.
Asunto(s)
Composición Familiar , Frutas , Verduras , Humanos , Masculino , Femenino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Adulto , Chile , Persona Soltera/estadística & datos numéricos , Comportamiento del Consumidor/estadística & datos numéricos , Adulto Joven , Anciano , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Dieta/estadística & datos numéricos , AdolescenteRESUMEN
Neste artigo procura-se estabelecer bases de argumentação para melhor entender as razões que levam um idoso a morar sozinho e como se processam as transferências (fluxo de recursos, ações e informações que se trocam e circulam) quando vive sozinho. Para tanto, são revisados e discutidos fatores determinantes dos arranjos domiciliares dos idosos, incluindo aspectos demográficos, socioeconômicos e de saúde, com ênfase nos domicílios unipessoais. Destacam-se pontos que permeiam as transferências entre idosos e seus familiares, tais como características das transferências intergeracionais, diferenças entre os diversos apoios recebidos, sexo do idoso. O estudo consistiu de uma revisão narrativa, cujos resultados apontaram que melhores condições socioeconômicas e de saúde, idade mais avançada e ausência de filhos parecem contribuir para que o idoso more sozinho. Contudo, houve divergências nos resultados dos estudos analisados quanto aos fatores associados à formação de domicílios unipessoais de idosos. Embora as transferências possam se dar independentemente do arranjo domiciliar do idoso, as que ocorrem entre os membros de um mesmo domicílio parecem ser mais frequentes e, talvez por isso, mais discutidas. Os idosos que moram sozinhos, apesar de participarem das transferências, estão mais propensos a receber cuidado formal, comparativamente àqueles que residem com outras pessoas.
En este artículo se intentan establecer una bases de argumentación para entender mejor las razones que llevan a un anciano a vivir solo y cómo se procesan las transferencias (flujo de recursos, acciones e información que se intercambia y circula) cuando vive solo. Para ello, se revisan y discuten factores determinantes del manejo de los domicilios de los ancianos, incluyendo aspectos demográficos, socioeconómicos y de salud, con énfasis en los domicilios unipersonales. Se destacan puntos que van más allá de las transferencias entre ancianos y sus familiares, tales como características de las transferencias intergeneracionales, diferencias entre los diversos apoyos recibidos, sexo del anciano. El estudio consistió en una revisión narrativa, cuyos resultados apuntaron que unas mejores condiciones socioeconómicas y de salud, edad más avanzada y ausencia de hijos parecen contribuir a que el anciano viva solo. Sin embargo, hubo divergencias en los resultados de los estudios analizados, en cuanto a los factores asociados a la formación de domicilios unipersonales de enfermos. Pese a que las transferencias puedan producirse independientemente del manejo del domicilio del anciano, las que se producen entre los miembros de un mismo domicilio parecen ser más frecuentes y, tal vez por esto, más discutidas. Los ancianos que viven solos, a pesar de que participan en las transferencias, son más propensos a recibir cuidado formal, en comparación con aquellos que residen con otras personas.
The authors seek to establish bases of argumentation in order to better understand the reasons that lead elderly citizens to live alone and how transfers take place (flow of resources, actions and information that is exchanged and circulated) when such persons do live alone. Determining factors are reviewed and discussed regarding the household arrangements of elderly citizens, including demographic, socioeconomic and health factors, with emphasis on single-person households. Factors that permeate transfers between elderly citizens and their families are underscored, such as the characteristics of intergenerational transfers, differences among the various types of support provided, and the gender of the elderly persons. The study consists of a narrative review and the results indicate that comfortable socioeconomic and health conditions, more advanced age and lack of children seem to contribute to an elderly person's decision to live alone. However, there were differences in the results of the studies analyzed in terms of the factors associated with the formation of single-person households among elderly persons. Although transfers generally take place regardless of the elderly person's household arrangements, those that take place among members of a single household seem to be more frequent and, perhaps for this reason, are discussed at greater length. Even when elderly persons who live alone participate in transfers, they are more likely to receive formal care than those who live with other persons.