Evaluation of Honey and Propolis Consumption Habits of Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Objective: This study was conducted to assess the consumption preferences and quantities of bee products in adults and to determine change in consumption of honey and propolis during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Material and Method: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 1217 individuals between November 2021 and March 2022. An online questionnaire was used for data collection, which included descriptive characteristics and participants' honey and propolis consumption habits. The data was analyzed using number, percentage, mean, McNemar, and Marginal Homogeneity test. Results: In this study, mean age of individuals was 26.84±10.96 years, 68.9% were male, 51.8% had a secondary education, and 73.4% had no chronic disease. It was found that honey and propolis increased among subjects during the pandemic (p<0.001). Participants consume honey and propolis because they are tasty and nutritious, strengthen immune system, and are effective in treating diseases. It was found that participants preferred filtered honey as honey type and multi-floral blossom honey (plateau) and honeydew (pine) as honey variety. Conclusion: This study is the first study with a large sample size conducted in Türkiye to determine the consumption of honey and propolis in adults during the pandemic and to evaluate the changes due to the pandemic. The results of this study show that the consumption of honey and propolis has increased during the pandemic.