Abstract
Introduction: Panic buying is a well-practiced behavior related to COVID-19 where individuals purchase food in greater quantity and speed due to emergency or feared lack of supply. Mind GenomicsTM is the psychological science of analyzing decisional processes to identify true internal thoughts. The study aimed to map out the decisional processes of undergraduate students regarding panic buying, to reveal distinct segments of thinking. Methods: A cross-sectional, web-based survey was completed by 200 undergraduates enrolled at Louisiana State University in early 2021. The 30-item survey included questions on demographics, comfort, finances, COVID-19 diagnosis, and 16 literature-driven elements related to panic buying. Results: The majority white (79.6%) samples fell into two mindsets. One mindset (n = 98) puts focus on nutrient content (i.e., fresh not frozen, long shelf life, only what is available for their diet) when buying food during COVID-19. A smaller subset (n = 65) has additional concern, buying what appears healthy and shopping to feel in control. The white students had significantly higher financial means (p = .022) and higher comfort (p < .001) than the Black students to shop and purchase food during COVID-19. Conclusion: When college students are faced with a pandemic, there is a large focus on nutrient content when buying food. It is important to reinforce students know how to find healthy foods that fit their diet. To better enable students to obtain nutritious foods, college health educators should help build good shopping habits while acknowledging that not all students have the same means to acquire what is needed.
Highlights
Panic buying is a well-practiced behavior related to COVID-19 where individuals purchase food in greater quantity and speed due to emergency or feared lack of supply
When college students are faced with a pandemic, there is a large focus on nutrient content when buying food
At the time of survey completion 70.5% of the sample had not received a positive test for COVID-19 at any time and 58.7% lived in households that did not experience any residents testing positive for the virus
Summary
Panic buying is a well-practiced behavior related to COVID-19 where individuals purchase food in greater quantity and speed due to emergency or feared lack of supply. Panic buying is defined as the action of buying large quantities of a particular product or commodity due to sudden fears of a forthcoming shortage or price increase (Hornblower et al, 2012). This buying behavior is typically triggered by short-term, or one-time events, such as a severe storm or a temporary disruption in a supply-chain, but the COVID-19 pandemic included the element of an extensive length of time with most stay-at-home orders lasting 3 months or longer. Shopping out of fear the stores will run out of needed items, which is another noted motivator (Martin-Neuninger & Ruby, 2020)
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