Avaliação de programas sociais: uma análise do impacto do Bolsa Família sobre o consumo de alimentos

Abstract

This thesis aims to evaluate the impact of the Bolsa Familia Programme in food consumption of attended families. Given that the beneficiaries are poor and extremely poor families, we want to know what are the program s contribution for security of these families. We used data from the Pesquisa de Orçamentos Familiares 2008/2009, conducted by the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística, related to food consumption of the beneficiary (treatment group) and non-beneficiary (control group) families. Using propensity score matching method was possible to compare families very similar in their observable characteristics. We have found that the program contributes to increase food consumption of beneficiary families, once these families presented statistically and significantly higher expenses than non-beneficiary families. Also, he program collaborates to elevate the proportion of children and youth with normal corporal mass index, and increases the proportion of adults with obesity problems - these results can be indirectly associated.