Beyond a Health Crisis: What Has Changed in Food Consumption Behaviour? A DEMATEL Method Application

Abstract

The aim of this study is an attempt to determine the fundamental factors driving alterations in food consumption behaviour during pandemic days. The primary data of the study have been collected from 484 households in Turkey. In order to define the factors that are affecting changes in food consumption behaviour; first of all, the Stimulus-Response model has been constructed. Then, the DEMATEL method has been utilized to indicate and prioritize the position of the significant factors. It is noteworthy to further mention that by utilizing the DEMATEL method, our analysis rely on the findings of the model used but not depending on experts’ opinions. Somers’ D coefficients were computed for each pair of variables, in transforming the raw data into DEMATEL scores to expand the experience and benefit from multi-criteria method in using complex real life problems, in various fields. The findings indicate that the determining factors of food consumption turn out to be social factors, such as restrictions of restaurants, publicity posts on social media, having constrained to stay at home for a long period of time and eating with the family gatherings during the pandemic outbreak.