Modeling of Food Consumption Behavior in the Quarantine Period Applied during the Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Outbreak in Turkey

Asli Zuluğ,Müge Ertem,Sevda Kaya,Dilay Merve Temur

doi:10.3390/su14041975

Abstract

The spread of coronavirus worldwide has affected consumer behavior in many ways. This paper tries to investigate the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) on food consumption behavior of consumers. Food consumption motivation data were assessed and compared before, during, and after the quarantine. An online survey was conducted among about 900 people from 54 different cities in Turkey, between April and May 2020, trying to understand consumers’ changing behavior in their food choices, preferences, and habits during the pandemic period. The aim of this paper is (i) to examine how consumer preferences were influenced by the COVID-19 quarantine period, using an ordered probit analysis, and (ii) to identify differences in the preferences for the food itself, food disinfection and cooking, and shopping preferences before and during the quarantine. Finally, as per the consumers’ body mass index (BMI), correlation with their mood and eating frequencies was observed. The findings indicate that, under stress conditions, like the quarantine period, food preferences and eating behavior changed, and consumers put all those emotions and information into their consumption process.

Highlights

Several pandemic diseases have arisen in the world in the past few centuries [1]SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) affected over 86 million people globally between December2019 and January 2021 [2]
An online survey was conducted in the spring of 2020, from 16 April 2020 to 4 May, during the pandemic peak days in Turkey, to understand consumers’ changing behavior about their food choices and preferences during the COVID-19 period
This study investigated the changes in food consumption preferences that occurred during the COVID-19 quarantine period in Turkey

Summary

Introduction

Several pandemic diseases have arisen in the world in the past few centuries [1]SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) affected over 86 million people globally between December2019 and January 2021 [2]. Activities of public spaces such as restaurants, bars, and patisseries were stopped, and flexible work was started in various sectors While these restrictions and prohibitions continued to be implemented, lockdowns were applied on weekends, and holidays began to be announced to protect the health of the society [3], with the first being on the weekend of 11–12 April, which was the peak period of the virus in Turkey [4,5]. The study of Sim et al [6], on consumer panic-buying behavior in pandemics showed that individuals stocked more food and daily materials in a short time to protect themselves from the rapidly increasing death news in the world It can be interpreted as a type of coping action [4,7]

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