Mohamed Abdel-Ghany

Alcohol Consumption Decisions in Korea

Data from the 1996 Korean Household Panel Study and a double-hurdle model were used to analyze alcohol consumption decisions in Korea. The Korean most likely to consume alcoholic beverages is a young male, and a college graduate. Among those who drink, being older, male, self-employed, or a farm or fishery worker were positively associated, and higher education levels were negatively associated with consumption level. The findings for gender and education were generally similar to those of studies using U.S. or Canadian data on alcohol consumption. The role of household level economic factors, family composition, and residence in alcohol consumption decisions appears to differ across cultures, however.

Husband/Wife Differentials in Household Work Time: The Case of Dual-Earner Families.

In spite of the tremendous increase in the burden of market work faced by married American women in the last decade, the differential in household work time between husbands and wives still persists. The results of this study assert that the differences in socioeconomic characteristics between husbands and wives explain only part of that differential. We argue that persisting role expec tations that assign household work on the basis of sex might explain the major part of the variance, and that these role expectations are partly clarified by the conceptual framework of the work-family role system.

Consumer Preference Among Fluid Milks: Low-Fat vs. High-Fat Milk Consumption in the United States

The present study uses data from the Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals 1994-1996, 1998 in order to analyse milk consumption by type, specifically high-fat milk vs. low-fat milk. Whereas trend analysis displays an overall increase in low-fat milk consumption over the last few decades in the United States, a number of individuals still consume high-fat milk varieties, and overall dietary intakes have yet to achieve recommended levels. In light of recent research regarding fat intakes, it is important to understand what factors might cause consumers to purchase high-fat options given the number of low-fat options available in the market. Through the use of Logistic regression, key socio-economic and demographic variables are analysed in order to determine their impacts on the probability of consuming low-fat milk vs. high-fat milk. The results indicate that a number of factors do influence probability of low-fat milk consumption as compared with high-fat milk consumption. Most notably, probability of low-fat milk consumption appears to be positively related to age, education level, and income level. African Americans and other minorities had a lower probability of consuming low-fat milk when compared with White people in the sample population. Also, those respondents designated as low income or living in the South were less likely to consume low-fat milk.

Cigarette Smoking in Japan: Examination of Myopic and Rational Models of Addictive Behavior

Myopic and rational addiction models are employed to investigate cigarette consumption in Japan using aggregate time-series data. The estimations provide support for the rational addiction models. Therefore, we conclude that addiction of Japanese cigarette smokers is not a result of myopic consumer behavior, but future effects are considered in their current decisions.

Economic and Demographic Determinants of Canadian Households' Use of and Spending on Alcohol

This article examines the determinants of Canadian household expenditures on alcoholic beverages using double-hurdle models to distinguish between the decision to consume and the decision of how much to consume. Linearity of the alcohol expenditurefunction and thus the applicability of a normality assumption to its errors is examined using Box-Cox and inverse hyperbolic sine (IHS) transformations. As important policy decisions affecting alcohol usage cannot be regarded as being independent of those affecting tobacco expenditure, tobacco expenditures are considered here as an important determinant of alcohol usage. Results of Hausman tests and two-step instrumental variables estimation to examine the possibility of simultaneity between household expenditure on alcohol and tobacco are also discussed.

Lottery Expenditures in Canada: Regional Analysis of Probability of Purchase, Amount of Purchase, and Incidence

This article has two purposes: First, to examine the effect of household characteristics on lottery expenditures in six regions of Canada using a double hurdle model to distinguish between the decision to play and the decision of how much to spend. Second, to estimate the incidence of lottery expenditures. Using the 1996 Canadian Family Expenditure Survey, the results portray the profile of households that have the probability of becoming participants in lottery play as well as the profile of households that spend more on lottery purchases. Lottery expenditures are found to be regressive in all regions.

Contemporaneous and Intertemporal Relationship Between the Consumption of Licit and Illicit Substances by Youth

Using a representative sample of the 1999 National School-based Youth Risk Behavior Survey, this study investigated the risky behavior of cigarette, alcohol, and marijuana consumption by underage students. The research analyzes the contemporaneous and intertemporal relationship between the use of these licit and illicit substances. Evidence of a gateway from cigarettes to marijuana was found; however, prior use of alcohol does not significantly increase the likelihood of currently using marijuana.

Consumer Sciences Research: A Two-Decade Comparison, 1980s and 1990s.

A comparison and assessment of research published in the 1980s and 1990s in the areas of consumer economics, consumption economics, family economics, household management, and family financial planning and counseling was performed. Four journals were selected for this study: Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal, The Journal of Consumer Affairs, Journal of Consumer Studies and Home Economics, and Journal of Family and Economic Issues. The following pieces of information were extracted from each article and transferred into table form: area of specialization, institutional affiliation of the researcher(s), source of data, sample size, topical classification, research methodology, and statistical analysis. The use of the tables should help to accelerate the work of educators, current and future researchers, and undergraduate and graduate students interested in locating an example of a particular area, topic, methodology, or statistical analysis.

Patterns of Spending Behavior and the Relative Position in the Income Distribution: Some Empirical Evidence

A model integrating the permanent income and relative income hypotheses was employed to explain consumer expenditure behavior in the U.S. The model was empirically tested using data from the interview survey portion of the 1996 and 1997 Consumer Expenditure Survey. The results indicate that household expenditure behavior is generally explained by both hypotheses when integrated in one model.

Differences in consumption patterns of single-parent and two-parent families in the United States

Different patterns of single-parent and two-parent families in six major expenditure categories are examined using the 1989 Consumer Expenditure Survey. Comparisons are made of the influence of permanent income, family size, region, race, gender, age, and education of the head of the family on the expenditure categories. The results show that with the exception of expenditures on shelter, the two groups differ significantly in their consumption patterns.