Bringing together Pacific health, nutrition, epidemiology, and econometrics expertise, we will investigate the effects of Tonga’s world-leading taxation programme on real-world outcomes, including:
- Food prices
- Import volumes
- Household expenditure
- Equity
Real-world impact of taxes on unhealthy food
Taxes on unhealthy foods are recommended to improve public health, but our understanding of their actual real-world impact is limited. Questions remain about the extent to which consumers switch to other unhealthy foods, and whether health benefits and economic costs are equitable, e.g,. for low-income households.
Globalisation drives non-communicable disease crisis
As seen globally, the Pacific is facing a non-communicable disease crisis driven by globalisation and the availability of highly-processed energy-dense food. Tonga has responded with a range of substantive food taxes and tax exemptions introduced from 2013-2018.
Research approach
We will use rigorous natural experiment methods, including interrupted time-series analysis and a controlled before-and-after study, underpinned by an analysis of policy and context.
This project builds on the team’s track record of using natural experiment methods to evaluate the impact of sugary drinks taxes in Tonga and elsewhere in the Pacific, and the pre-existing collaborations, data access, expertise, and a proven publication record in leading nutrition journals. We seek to build Pacific research skills.
Contact us
Email andrea.teng@otago.ac.nz
Our people
- Dr Andrea Teng, Principal Investigator
- Dr Viliami Puloka, Associate Investigator
- Dr Alice Kim, Biostatistics
- Ella Steele, Postgraduate student
- Professor Nick Wilson
Funding
Marsden funded project, 2024–2027