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Disease diagnosis and seafood purchases in the U.S.

Presented at the Agricultural & Applied Ecoonmics Association (AAEA) 2024 conference in New Orleans
Seafood
WIC program
Healthy diets
Disease diagnosis
Food policy
Scanner data

“Disease diagnosis and seafood purchases in the U.S.”

Authors
Affiliations

Roberto Cárdenas-Retamal

School of Forest, Fisheries, & Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida

Di Fang

Food and Resources Economics Department, University of Florida

Frank Asche

School of Forest, Fisheries, & Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida

Published

March 2024

Abstract

Disease diagnosis plays a critical turning point in individuals’ lives, often incentivizing lifestyle changes. However, how these events lead to significant changes in short and long-term food choices remains less-studied. Despite the well-documented health benefits of seafood, its consumption remains below recommended levels. Addressing this challenge, food assistance programs, such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), have updated their offerings to include seafood, aiming to promote healthier diets among low-income populations. Using a difference-in-difference methodology, this study examines how various disease diagnoses affected seafood purchase behaviors in the U.S. Using the Nielson IQ dataset from 2011 to 2020, our findings show a significant increase in seafood purchases post-diagnosis, with more pronounced effects observed among wealthier and higher-educated households.