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Open Access

Can Information Enhanced with Nudges Mitigate the Rise of Childhood Obesity in the Global South?

Pham Khanh Nam, Brandon J. Restrepo, Matthias Rieger and Natascha Wagner
Published online before print November 10, 2022, 0821-11827R2; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.0821-11827R2
Pham Khanh Nam
*Pham Khanh Nam is Associate Professor Economics at the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
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Brandon J. Restrepo
#Brandon J. Restrepo is a Research Economist at the USDA, Economic Research Service, Washington, DC.
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Matthias Rieger
+Matthias Rieger is Associate Professor of Development Economics at The International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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  • For correspondence: [email protected]
Natascha Wagner
ºNatascha Wagner is Professor of Development Economics and Director of the Global Data Lab at Radboud University in Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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Abstract

We conducted a RCT to test whether updating nutrition information sets of parents along with nudges reduces excess body fat among primary schoolchildren in urban Vietnam. Parents of overweight or obese children were randomly offered a nutrition consultation that led to goal setting with soft commitment, BMI-for-age report card, and weight scale. After 6 months, the intervention reduced body fat, waist circumference, and the likelihood of being overweight or obese, which are partly explained by improvements in diets and diet-related parental perceptions. Anthropometric improvements are concentrated among girls—partly operating through achievement of dietary goals—and persisted after 22 months.

JEL Codes:
  • I12
  • I15
  • I18
Keywords:
  • Information
  • nudges
  • parents
  • children
  • overweight
  • obesity
  • Vietnam

This open access article is distributed under the terms of the CC-BY- NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) and is freely available online at: http://jhr.uwpress.org

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Journal of Human Resources: 60 (3)
Journal of Human Resources
Vol. 60, Issue 3
1 May 2025
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Can Information Enhanced with Nudges Mitigate the Rise of Childhood Obesity in the Global South?
Pham Khanh Nam, Brandon J. Restrepo, Matthias Rieger, Natascha Wagner
Journal of Human Resources Nov 2022, 0821-11827R2; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.0821-11827R2

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Can Information Enhanced with Nudges Mitigate the Rise of Childhood Obesity in the Global South?
Pham Khanh Nam, Brandon J. Restrepo, Matthias Rieger, Natascha Wagner
Journal of Human Resources Nov 2022, 0821-11827R2; DOI: 10.3368/jhr.0821-11827R2
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Keywords

  • I12
  • I15
  • I18
  • Information
  • nudges
  • parents
  • children
  • overweight
  • obesity
  • Vietnam
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