A Systematic Review of the Effect of Remittances on Diet and Nutrition

BACKGROUND: Remittance income is rising rapidly in most low- and middle-income countries. Despite nutrition being a key policy priority for health and development, we know little about the effect of remittance income on diets and nutrition. OBJECTIVE: To identify the effect of remittance income on nutrition. METHOD: Systematic review of English-language studies providing information on the impact of remittances on food consumption, food expenditure, or measures of nutritional status, using a narrative synthesis approach for analysis. We searched the English-language published and gray literature using key words "remittances," "nutrition," and "diets." RESULTS: This systematic review identified 20 studies that examined the effect of remittance income on food consumption, dietary intake, and nutritional status, 2 of which were qualitative studies. Overall, the quality of the studies was weak to moderate. These studies show that remittances can increase access to (purchased) food and may have a consumption smoothing effect, reducing households' vulnerability and leading to improved food security and reductions in underweight. However, remittances appear to have little effect on markers of chronic undernourishment. The studies also suggest that the extra income from remittances may compound trends toward purchasing less healthy (nontraditional) foods that are associated with the nutrition transition. CONCLUSION: There is an urgent need for further research on the effect of remittances on nutrition and diets, with remittance income forecast to rise rapidly into the future. Programs to ensure that those households receiving remittances move beyond just meeting sufficient calories and improve dietary quality could create nutritional benefits.