P049 The Impact of Work Environment on Cooking and Eating Habits for Adults in the United States

Abstract

BackgroundFor many, work environments changed during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic as more people began working from home.ObjectiveTo determine if people who began working more from home had changes in meal consumption patterns (meals cooked at home vs. outside of the home) different from people who did not begin to work more from home.Study Design, Setting, ParticipantsA cross-sectional observational survey was conducted with a convenience sample of adults (n = 9329) from the United States from March 2020 to May 2021.Measurable Outcome/AnalysisDemographics and behavior changes were assessed (including home cooking frequency, eating outside of the home frequency, and changes in work environment). Chi squared analysis were conducted to determine the difference between cooking and eating habits based on work environment controlling for incomeResultsMany (34.7%) reported working more from home at the beginning of the pandemic. Individuals who worked more from home consumed more meals cooked at home and ate fewer meals cooked outside of the home than individuals who did not report working more from home (P < 0.001, respectively).ConclusionsFor some people, working from home during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in eating more food cooked at home and fewer meals cooked outside of the home. Future research needs to determine if shifts in these consumption patterns were associated with improved diet quality and if the changes in patterns were transient or long-lasting.FundingNone