Household Production of Food: Expenditures, Norms, And Satisfaction

Abstract

Pearson product moment correlations and multiple regression were used in this study to analyze the relationship between household production of food and the level of food expenditures; a household's assessment of the quantity and variety of food consumed; and a household's satisfaction with the quantity and variety of food consumed. Households that did more household production of food tended to have lower expenditures for food and to report their food to be of higher quantity and variety, when compared to a norm. Food expenditures were positively related to the household's reported comparison of its food to a norm and satisfaction with its food. A household's comparison of the variety and quantity of its food to a norm was positively related to its satisfaction with its food.

Primary Household Production of Food, Food Expenditures, and Reported Adequacy of Food

“…Household members who wish to adopt the strategy of substituting time, skills, and space for money will need to consider this when making housing decisions regarding location and tenure. The negative relationship found between primary household production of food and food expenditures in couple-headed households supports findings from a previous study (Volker et al, 1983).…”

“…To assess the impact of primary household production of food on food expenditures and utility, factors associated with primary household food production activities need to be identified and controlled. With appropriate controls, any relationships found are true relationships, and not spurious (Rosenberg, 1968 . Studies of household production in general (and not just the primary production of food) have shown that higher levels of time spent in household production are associated with larger household sizes and younger children, while the amount of time in the labor force, particularly by the principal adult female in the household, has a negative relationship with household production (Goebel & Hennon, 1983;Nickols, 1976;Walker Woods, 1976). r~l®~ three studies (Kaitz, 1977; Morgan, Sirageidin, & ~aec°waldt, 1966;Volker et al, 1983) have focused on identifying family characteristics that predict participation in primary food production. Morgan et al examined five non-housework household production activities : 1) repairs, major housecleaning, and painting; 2) sewing; 3) providing their own food; 4) canning and freezing, and 5) all other activities that saved money.…”

“…Whether canning saved money depended on the equipment on hand and whether the produce was home grown. Volker et al (1983) found that primary household production of food results in significantly lower food expenditures when family characteristics and residential characteristics are (controlled.…”

“…Reported satisfaction (Andrews & l4lithey, 1976;~°~rnpb~ll, Converse, & Rodgers, 1976;Davis & Helmick, 1983Duncan, 1975;Hafstrom & Dunsing, 1973;Jackson, 1978;Mammen, He)msck, & Metzen, 1983a;Slusher, Helmick & Metzen, 1983;Volker et al, 1983;WilhelrrD, lams, & Rudd, 1987;Winter, Bivens, ~~ Morris, 1984; tion with one or more of the others (subjective rating and satisfaction, or income adequacy and reported change in income, as examples). With one exception (Volker et al, 1983), no studies were found that focused on the subjective assessment of the household's food. Many of the studies that have asked respondents for subjective assessments have either examined the global concept of overall well-being or have been limited to subjective assessments of a particular domain such as income, net worth, or financial position.…”

“…The subjective assessments have often been related to both objective assessments of the domain (level of income or net worth, for example) or to a measure of overall well-being. in a study focusing on the subjective assessment of the family's food, Volker et al (1983) tested the effect of a scale of primary household food production activities on household food expenditures, the household's comparison of its food with that of other families (a measure of food adequacy), and the household's satisfaction with the quantity and quality of food consumed. They found that households who did more primary household production of food had lower food expenditures and also reported their food as having higher quality and greater variety than those of &dquo;the average Iowa family.&dquo; Their satisfaction with food consumed was not significantly affected by primary household food production activities.…”