Abstract
Consumers’ eating habits have changed significantly due to the anxiety and boredom from the reported cases and deaths of COVID-19, the change in work patterns, controlled food shopping, and the inability to meet loved ones during the lockdown. The magnitude of these changes in the eating behaviours and purchasing habits of consumers varies across different groups of people. This study provides empirical evidence of the effects of COVID-19 on the eating and purchasing behaviours of people living in England, which was assessed based on sociodemographic variables. A total of 911 participants were recruited by a market research company, while only 792 useable responses were included in this study. The participants, aged between 18 and 91 years, completed an online questionnaire, and the data were analysed using ordinal regression. Data were collected between October and December 2020. Male participants constituted 34.60%, females 63.89%, and others (other gender and those who prefer not to declare their gender) were 0.63%. The majority of participants’ ages fell into the ranges of 23–38 and 39–54. Participants aged 23 to 38 years had the greatest effect of COVID-19 on their purchasing decision of healthier foods, while participants in the age groups 55–73 and 74–91 were least affected. The amount of foods purchased during the pandemic decreased with increasing age. The amount of foods purchased by students, people in employment, and people from minority ethnic groups were greatly affected by the pandemic. All participants who stated that taking food supplements is not important during the pandemic were from the White ethnic group. The effects of the pandemic on purchasing healthier foods were greater in younger generations and participants in full- or part-time employment than participants who were retired and who were aged above 55. The participants with higher educational qualifications and those from minority ethnic groups were also more affected by the pandemic. We suggest further studies to monitor any changes in the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the eating and purchasing behaviours of consumers.
Highlights
People eat for different reasons, and the different foods they consume have an effect on their day-to-day activities
This study aims at measuring the impact of COVID-19 on the eating and purchasing behaviours of people living in England based on sociodemographic variables
The participants who were in the 18–22 years age group were 8.33%, while 0.63% were in the age group of 74–91, and 0.13% did not identify with any age group
Summary
People eat for different reasons, and the different foods they consume have an effect on their day-to-day activities. Eating behaviours vary from person to person and could be determined by array of physiological, sociological, psychological, or nutritional factors [1]. These needs were reported to be greatly affected by the effects of the pandemic of the coronavirus disease in 2019 (COVID-19). COVID-19 is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2), and this infectious disease was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization [2]. In the UK, the impacts of COVID-19 on people were reported as psychological imbalance [3], negative physical and mental wellbeing [4], and changes in weight and nutritional habits [5]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
