The Effect of Intra-household Mobile Phone Use on Household Food and Nutrition Security in Tanzania

Abstract

Abstract This study explores the effect of intra-household mobile phone use on household food and nutrition security in Tanzania. It utilises the sample size of 1,184 households with information on male and female mobile phone use status from the National Panel Survey-Sex Disaggregated Data ( NPS-SDD ) collected in 2019/20. To offset the potential endogeneity bias from gender digital use choice, the study employs instrumental variable regression and a bivariate probit model in the analysis. The results indicate that the magnitude of the effect of female mobile phone users on household food and nutrition security is consistently larger and statistically significant than that of male mobile phone users. It also demonstrates that mobile phone users in rural areas have a more significant effect on a household’s welfare than their counterparts in urban areas. These findings highlight the importance of closing the gender digital inclusion gap and urban-rural digital disparities to expedite efforts to improve households’ well-being.