Impact of public health expenditure on malnutrition among Peruvians during the period 2010-2020: A panel data analysis

Background: The study analyzes the impact of public health spending on malnutrition among Peruvians, using data from the National Household Survey, the Central Reserve Bank of Peru, the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics and the Ministry of Economy and Finance from 2010. -2020. Previous studies have revealed the existing relationship of health spending with the reduction of malnutrition.

Methods: A quantitative approach is considered, with an explanatory type of research using panel data methodology considering the bidimensionality of the data, which allows quantifying this effect for the Peruvian case using the National Household Survey, data from the Central Reserve Bank of Peru, as well as information from the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics and the Transparency Portal of the Ministry of Economy and Finance in the period 2010-2020.

Results: The results show that public expenditure on health has a negative relationship with malnutrition; the rural sector has a positive relationship with malnutrition given the limitations present for access to adequate food. Similarly, the unemployment rate shows a positive relationship with malnutrition, given that being unemployed leads to a higher cause of malnutrition in the population, and the gross domestic product has a negative relationship with malnutrition, given that greater economic growth produces an impact on reducing malnutrition, with the greatest impact being on the rural population and the gross domestic product.

Conclusions: In the analysis period 2010-2020 in Peru, based on the panel data analysis, the impact of public health expenditure on reducing malnutrition is observed in 10 departments, achieving a reduction in malnutrition; while in 14 departments, this indicator has not been reduced.