I12 - Health BehaviorReturn

In the present study we analyze diversification of food consumption in Slovakia. Dietary diversity is a proxy for the quality of diet and it measures one aspect of household food and nutritional security. Using data from the Slovak Household Budget Survey, we estimate determinants of demand for food diversity by means of linear and quantile regressions. We measure food diversity by count measure of food items consumed during a specific time period and by Berry index. While demand for food diversity has been steadily increasing since 2004, economic crisis in 2009 slightly reduced the diversity of foodstuffs consumed by Slovak households. Estimated income elasticities are consistent with the applied theoretical framework and previous studies conducted in other countries. Furthermore, results from the quantile regression reveal that the estimated coefficients significantly differ across quantiles of the dependent variables' distribution. Results further indicate that Slovak households diversify their food consumption less during the first quarter of the year and in rural areas. Individual characteristics of the household head, such as education, age or gender significantly influence diverse food consumption too. Overall, an increasing demand for food diversity was observed between 2004 and 2010 which can imply an improved quality of diet and food security of Slovak households.