This study examines the impact of refrigerator ownership on dietary habits in rural China, focusing on a 2008 subsidy policy introduced by the Chinese government to promote refrigerator purchases. Using this policy as a natural experiment, we analyze whether refrigerator ownership affects nutritional intake, particularly protein and fat consumption. While the subsidy successfully increased refrigerator ownership among rural residents, our instrumental variable analysis indicates no significant causal effect on dietary habits, despite OLS results showing a correlation with improved protein and fat intake. The findings suggest that refrigerator ownership alone may not lead to substantial changes in dietary patterns in rural China.
Siqi Chen (Sat,) studied this question.