Food Shopping Behaviors Research Articles

Food insecurity among food banks users during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany – what have we learnt and what should we do?

Abstract Background Before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, up to 1.65 million people visited a total of 956 food banks called “Tafel” in Germany. The start of the pandemic and the associated first lockdown led to shortages in commercial food outlets and to considerable restrictions on the range of food banks. The aim of the study “Food INsecurity Among TAfel users” (FINATA) was to investigate the prevalence of food insecurity (FI) and its association with social support and food shopping behaviours among Tafel users during the pandemic. Methods A written and/or oral survey was conducted in 2020 and 2021 among a total of 985 Tafel users. In addition to descriptive analyses, regression analyses, stratified for 2020 and 2021, were conducted to investigate associations between FI and the other variables. Results Participants of 2020 (n = 565) and 2021 (n = 420) differed in several socio-demographic characteristics. Whereas the prevalence of moderate FI over the 30 days prior to the survey differed between participants of 2020 (21,6 %) and 2021 (6,6 %), the prevalence of severe FI was almost identical (3,9 % vs. 4,0 %). Variables being significantly (p < 0,05) associated with moderate/severe FI included being single vs. being married (2020: OR 4,89, 2021: OR 2,69), receiving at least half of food in the household from the Tafel (2020: OR 0,34), low vs. moderate/high social support (2020: OR 2,93), buying food in commercial food outlets at least once/week vs. less often (2021: OR 0,38) and time of travel to the most used commercial food outlet (2021: OR 1,04). Conclusions The social safety net during the pandemic failed to enable “all people to have (...) economic access to sufficient (...) food” in Germany. Future studies should investigate the relationship between social support, shopping behaviours and FI at the long-term. Food banks are recommended to introduce measures to improve the social situation of their clients such as cooperating with social cafés and restaurants.

The Impact of Modern Lifestyles on Eating Habits and Food Shopping Behaviors: A Case Study of Omnichannel Retail Consumers Aged 25–40 in Athens

The Impact of Modern Lifestyles on Eating Habits and Food Shopping Behaviors: A Case Study of Omnichannel Retail Consumers Aged 25–40 in Athens

Validation of the food inflation impact on consumer behavior scale: a comparative measurement instrument with focus on food security

This study aimed to compare the change in consumer behaviour in the face of high inflation with respect to food security in the Turkish population by developing a 3-factor The Impact of Food Inflation on Consumer Behaviour (IFI-ConB) scale. Item generation and expert evaluation, item purification by preliminary application, and final administration were conducted. The moderate to severe food insecure individuals exhibited a higher inflation impact score on food consumption patterns, food shopping behaviours, and food purchasing motives factors compared to secure to mild insecure individuals. A positive correlation was found between the inflation impact score by IFI-ConB and the price motive for food choice. The primary food choice motive was health among the secure to mild insecure individuals, while for the moderate to severe food insecure individuals, it was price. The findings indicate that food insecure individuals are more affected by high food inflation compared to food secure individuals.

The Pathways study: a cohort study of new food-aid users in rural, semi urban, and urban areas of Quebec, Canada

BackgroundWhile considerable research has been conducted on household food insecurity (HFI), little research has examined the effects of food donation programs on users’ living conditions. The Pathways study was established to investigate the long-term effects of food donation programs on food insecurity as well as other critical outcomes, such as diet, health, and social support. Herein, we describe the design of the Pathways Study and the participants’ characteristics at baseline.MethodsThe Pathways study is a prospective cohort study of 1001 food-aid users in Quebec (Canada). We recruited newly registered users of food donation programs from 106 community-based food-aid organizations that partnered with the study. Baseline data were collected through face-to-face interviews from September 2018 to January 2020, with planned follow-up interviews at 12 and 24 months after enrollment. Household food insecurity, diet, food competencies, food shopping behaviors, perceived food environment, health status, social support and isolation, sociodemographic characteristics, housing conditions, negative life events, and the impacts of COVID-19 were assessed with validated questionnaires.ResultsThe cohort included 1001 participants living in rural (n = 181), semi-urban (n = 250), and urban areas (n = 570). Overall, household food insecurity was reported as severe among 46.2% and moderate in 36.9% of participants. Severe household food insecurity was more prevalent in rural (51.4%) and urban (47.8%) areas compared to semi-urban (39%) areas. Overall, 76.1% of participants reported an annual income below C$20,000. Half (52%) had low education levels (high school or lower), 22.0% lived in single-parent households, and 52.1% lived alone. Most (62.9%) experienced at least one major financial crisis in the preceding year.ConclusionsResults show that newly registered users of food donation programs often have low-income and severe food insecurity, with major differences across geographical locations. The Pathways study is the first study designed to follow, over a 2-year period, a cohort of newly registered users of food donation programs and to quantify their trajectories of service use. Findings from the Pathways study might help adapt the community response to the strategies used by food-insecure households to feed themselves.

How household food shopping behaviors changed during COVID-19 lockdown period: Evidence from Beijing, China

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a great impact on food shopping behavior. However, changes in food shopping behavior and related decision-making mechanisms remain unexplored. This study conducted a face-to-face questionnaire survey with 900 residents in three communities in Haidian, Beijing, China, to analyze food shopping behavior during the periods of pre-lockdown, lockdown (January–March 2020), and post-lockdown. Our results indicated that the preference for fresh food e-commerce shopping was accelerated by the lockdown with the usage rate increasing by 48%; the wet markets were seriously hit by the lockdown policy and had not fully recovered by the post-lockdown period (with a 75% reduction in the usage rate during lockdown). The psychological mechanisms of changes in food shopping behavior revealed that the context (e.g., community facilities) and the perceived risk of COVID-19 were two significant factors impacting the four shopping choices investigated. Specifically, the context factors affected behavior directly for supermarkets and convenience stores and indirectly for e-commerce and wet markets. The findings are expected to help in guiding emergency responses during a future pandemic as well as the long-term construction of food supply facilities.

Australian consumers’ attitudes to packaged fresh meat products with added microbial bioprotective cultures for shelf-life extension

The application of food-grade microbial cultures to fresh meat products is a promising natural approach for meat shelf-life extension. However, before its adoption into commercial practice, it is essential to understand consumers’ attitudes to this approach and the resulting marketed products. This study investigated Australian consumers’ willingness to purchase and consume packaged fresh meat products with added microbial cultures for shelf-life extension. A national online survey of over 800 respondents was conducted. Results indicated that most Australian consumers would be willing to buy and eat such products, with 17.8% of respondents less likely to buy and 11.1% unwilling to eat these products. Respondents’ purchasing and consumption decisions were influenced by demographic factors, their food and meat shopping and consumption behaviors, and the value, taste, and type of the meat product. Consumer acceptance may be improved by increasing their awareness of the potential use of microbial cultures as natural antimicrobials for food shelf-life extension.

Effect of availability and COVID-19 vaccination on food shopping and consumption behaviors among Jordan universities students

The COVID-19 pandemic influenced the lives of university students all across the globe. Indeed, the pandemic has impacted many aspects of their daily routine, changing their social and health habits and food-related behaviors. There is now no approved therapy, and vaccination is the only clinical preventative measure that provides the highest protection against the virus. While these vaccines have been beneficial in curbing the pandemic's effect, they may also influence food-related behaviors. Accordingly, this paper aims to investigate the impact of vaccination availability on university students' food shopping and consumption habits, vaccine-related opinions, and back on-campus behaviors in Jordan. The research is based on an online survey conducted in Jordan using a structured questionnaire and distributed through Google Forms between January 1 and March 20, 2022. A total of 624 valid answers were collected. The findings revealed no significant changes in the way students consumed, shopped, and handled food compared to the pre-vaccine period. However, there is a slight post-vaccine trend toward shopping more groceries online and ordering more meals via delivery apps and takeout services. Regarding health-related food choices, there was an increase in the consumption of healthy food, water, and fruits and vegetables. Further, following the availability of the vaccination, students' adoption of COVID-19 food-related habits was maintained. Gender, engagement in food preparation activities, and living status (e.g., whether or not living with parents) substantially affected several food-related behaviors. The findings are expected to guide both current emergency preparations and long-term food-related policies in Jordan. This information may also be helpful to researchers interested in the effects of COVID-19 vaccination on student nutrition and related food behaviors.

Protection Motivation Theory and consumers’ food safety behaviour in response to COVID-19

The threat of COVID-19 has altered consumers shopping behaviour and increased consumers' willingness to purchase food using online food delivery services. Consumers were more likely to practice strict hand hygiene measures and were concerned with food safety. Such behaviours were likely driven by the fear and threat of contracting COVID-19. This study aims to use Protective Motivation Theory (PMT) to investigate how COVID-19 affects food shopping and food safety behaviour. An online, cross-sectional study was conducted in Indonesia and Malaysia to determine the protective motivation to engage in three food shopping and hygiene practices such as i) Safe food shopping behaviour; ii) Hand hygiene and avoiding cross contamination; and iii) Use of online food delivery services. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Spearman rho's correlation and binary logistic regression. A total of 1180 responses were received of which 1129 were valid. Gender was identified as a significant predictor across all food safety behaviours during COVID-19. Response efficacy and self-efficacy were significant predictors for food shopping behaviour while perceived severity significantly predicted hand hygiene practices after shopping. Age, frequency of food preparation and shopping, perceived severity, perceived vulnerability, response efficacy and self-efficacy were significant predictors for use of online food delivery services. Our findings suggest that women were more likely to engage in protective measures during food shopping, carry out hand hygiene practices after shopping and use online food delivery services during COVID-19. Participants with higher response and self-efficacy scores were more likely to shop from markets or shops with high hygiene standards while participants who perceived COVID-19 as a serious threat were more likely to clean and sanitise their hands after shopping. Participants also believed that the use of online food delivery services helps to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection. However, foods should be purchased from trusted restaurants or takeaways. This is the first study to use Protection Motivation Theory to explore consumers' food shopping, hand hygiene and online food delivery practices during COVID-19.

Using Formative Research to Develop a Social Marketing Campaign to Understand Food Shopping Behaviors in Young Mothers

Background The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, serves as the primary method of governmental-funded defense against food insecurity in the USA through the provision of food-purchasing assistance to eligible low-income people and families. However, participation in SNAP has been associated with dietary disparities and increased risk of chronic disease associated with overweight and obesity. Low-income individuals are more vulnerable to diet-related chronic disease, as they often have limited resources, are unable to afford healthier foods, such as fruits and vegetables, experience a lack of geographic access to healthy foods, and find themselves without time to prepare healthy meals. As a result, financially marginalized populations are less likely to adhere to Federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Objective The purpose of this study was twofold: first, to gain insight into factors influencing food choices and grocery shopping behaviors of women with children, on a limited budget, who utilize or are eligible for SNAP; second, to develop and implement interventions based on these insights to enable participants to better adhere to the Federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Methods We conducted independent formative interviews with 19 women in Spring 2018 to develop a social marketing campaign to promote a behavior change associated with healthy grocery shopping practices. These participants were interviewed using a loosely guided interview that gauged barriers, benefits, motivators, competition, and influencers of using a food budget. Of these participants, we identified those who were actively practicing the selected behavior of budgeting for and purchasing healthy foods, like fruits and vegetables. To empower women within this community by drawing from the experiences and knowledge of other women from this same community, participants were selected to participate in a more thorough interview process, followed by a journey mapping exercise. Data collected from the interviews and journey mapping exercise were analyzed for barriers and facilitators to developing and maintaining the adoption and use of a healthy food budget. In response, the research team conducted a search for interventions that aligned with the outlined barriers noted from the interviews and developed a social marketing campaign. This social marketing campaign was then delivered in a series of sessions where pre- and post-surveys were administered to assess grocery shopping behaviors and budgeting practices. Results Specific topics yielded from the journey mapping exercise included tips and tricks mothers used to successfully budget for and purchase healthy foods. Additionally, mothers who participated in the social marketing intervention reported grocery shopping at least one to two times a week. When asked about their habits related to purchasing fruits and vegetables through pre- and post-surveys, 60% of the participants reported intentionally purchasing fruits and vegetables every time they went grocery shopping. Seventy nine percent (79%) of women reported creating a budget allocated for groceries before shopping, while 42% reported sticking to this budget. Implications The study identified three domains of determinants that influence budgeting and shopping for healthy groceries that can inform future formative research and development of interventions among women with children who utilize or are eligible for SNAP.

Just Love Me, Feed Me, Never Leave Me: Understanding Pet Food Anxiety, Feeding and Shopping Behavior of US Pet Owners in Covidian Times.

Simple SummaryFood insecurity and anxiety is an important topic in Covidian times. This study proposes a model that investigates the impact of pet owner’s perceptions of their pet, their engagement with their pet, sociodemographic factors and the frequency of incidences where pet owners could not provide sufficient food for their pet. The results are relevant to vets, managers and volunteers at animal shelters and pet food pantries, as behavioral changes in feeding and pet food buying resulting from pet food anxiety require awareness and accommodation in the everyday life of food insecure pet owners.The study provides insights for pet food retailers, vets and managers and volunteers at animal shelters, pet food pantries and food banks into the behavioral changes in feeding and pet food buying resulting from pet food anxiety in Covidian times. This study proposes a model that investigates the impact of pet owner’s perceptions of their pet, their engagement with their pet, sociodemographic factors and the frequency of incidences where pet owners could not provide sufficient food for their pet. For this purpose, an online survey with a sample of 206 US residents was conducted. Partial least squares structural equation modelling shows that perceiving the pet as an animal or family/friend, as well as active engagement with the pet, heightens a sense of pet food anxiety. Similarly, past experiences where pet owners could not provide sufficient food for their pet impacts pet food anxiety, which leads to changes in pet food shopping and pet feeding behavior. Sociodemographic factors (biological sex, age, income and education) were not found to impact anxiety.

A Multi-Pronged Evaluation of a Healthy Food Access Initiative in Central Texas: Study Design, Methods, and Baseline Findings of the FRESH-Austin Evaluation Study.

Food insecurity and limited healthy food access are complex public health issues and warrant multi-level evaluations. The purpose of this paper was to present the overall study design and baseline results of the multi-pronged evaluation of a healthy food access (i.e., Fresh for Less (FFL)) initiative in Central Texas. The 2018–2021 FRESH-Austin study was a natural experiment that utilized a cluster random sampling strategy to recruit three groups of participants (total n = 400): (1) customers at FFL assets, (2) residents that lived within 1.5 miles of an FFL asset, and (3) residents from a comparison community. Evaluation measures included annual cohort surveys, accelerometers and GPS devices, store-level audits, and built environment assessments. Data are being used to inform and validate an agent-based model (ABM) to predict food shopping and consumption behaviors. Sociodemographic factors and food shopping and consumption behaviors were similar across the three groups; however, customers recruited at FFL assets were lower income and had a higher prevalence of food insecurity. The baseline findings demonstrate the need for multi-level food access interventions, such as FFL, in low-income communities. In the future, ABM can be used as a cost-effective way to determine potential impacts of future large-scale food environment programs and policies.

Exploring food shopping behaviours through a study of Ottawa social media

This study explored the important attributes of the local food retail environments that residents from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, used in recommending where to purchase fresh produce, including fruits and vegetables, in the Ottawa area. Drawing upon an approach originating in marketing and consumer research, qualitative thematic analysis was used to analyze 79 discussions from three social media platforms that occurred between 2015 and 2018. We identified three patterns of conversations about food shopping, characterized by participants describing important factors of their local retail food environments that shaped their recommendations for different retail food establishments: 1) Pleasant represented discussions where having a pleasurable food shopping experience was the main discussion point. 2) Thrifty discussions were marked primarily by economical management and discussed food shopping in pragmatic terms. 3) Compromise represented a group where discussions described needing to find a middle ground between affordability and quality. While not without limitations, our study was the first exploration of whether social media data could be useful for qualitatively evaluating local retail food environments. Our findings add to the conclusions of other researchers that social media data does not compromise on the breadth of views captured and can parallel findings from traditional methods. These findings have implications for nutrition researchers and practitioners who we encourage to consider social media discussion data in their work.

Food shopping, preparation and consumption practices in times of COVID-19: case of Lebanon

PurposeRight after announcing the first cases, several governments worldwide have implemented stringent measures to stop the spread of COVID-19. This disruption in individuals' daily routines transformed food consumption habits. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on food consumption, diet and food shopping behaviors in Lebanon.Design/methodology/approachThe paper draws upon an online survey in Lebanon administered in Arabic and English through the Survey Monkey platform in the period of July 15—August 5, 2020, with 201 adults. The survey findings were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a paired sample t-test and a Phi correlation test.FindingsThe research underlined numerous key consumer tendencies that are currently affecting diet and food behavior in Lebanon. Indeed, the study outcomes suggested (1) a move toward healthier diets; (2) a rise in the consumption of domestic products due to food safety concerns; (3) a change in the grocery shopping behaviors (with a rise in online shopping); (4) a surge of food stockpiling; and (5) a decrease in household food wastage. Surprisingly, COVID-19 seems to generate several positive changes toward more sustainable and healthier consumption patterns in Lebanon.Research limitations/implicationsThese findings contribute to the clarification and critical analysis of the impacts of COVID-19 on food behaviors in Lebanon, which would have several policy implications.Originality/valueThe findings of this first study contribute to the clarification and critical analysis of the impacts of COVID-19 on food behaviors in Lebanon, which would have several policy implications.

Eating habits and consumer food shopping behaviour during COVID-19 virus pandemic: insights from Serbia

PurposeThe COVID-19 virus pandemic has strongly influenced consumer behaviour worldwide. This paper aims to investigate how risk perceptions and precautions related to COVID-19 virus influence consumer eating habits and consequently, behaviour during shopping for food. Also, research tends to identify changes in consumer eating habits resulting from the current pandemic situation.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 237 consumers from Serbia were online surveyed during November 2020. Starting from the methodology of the SOR model (Mehrabian and Russell, 1974), the questionnaire consists of seven-point Likert scale statements that measure risk perceptions and precautions as stimulus (S), eating habits as an organism (O) and food choice, precautions during shopping for food and food purchasing patterns as a response (S).FindingsResearch results confirm the difference in consumers' eating habits during and before a pandemic. Also, results indicate that perceived risk and precautions related to the COVID-19 virus have a statistically significant influence on consumers' eating habits which have changed during a pandemic, finally resulting in significant effects on consumers' food shopping behaviour.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitations of this study are observing only a few aspects related to COVID-19 virus pandemic and consumer food shopping behaviour, as well as measuring precautions, perceived risk and food shopping behaviour at one point in time besides the fact that pandemic situation constantly changes.Originality/valueThe study indicates that food manufacturers should pay attention to the consumers' eating habits and food shopping behaviour changes under the circumstances of COVID-19 virus pandemic. Identified changes can be used as opportunities to gain a competitive advantage on the market.

Changes in diet and food shopping behaviors among Asian-American adults due to COVID-19.

ObjectiveCOVID‐19 has changed diet and food shopping behaviors, but a lack of disaggregated data by racial and ethnic subgroup makes it challenging to identify whether specific populations are experiencing greater challenges in safely securing an adequate food supply and engaging in healthy eating behaviors during the pandemic. Thus, the objective of this study was to measure such changes among Asian–American (AA) adults, overall and by ethnic subgroup.MethodsUsing a nationally derived nonprobability sample, 3084 AA adults were recruited, including 1737 East Asian, 570 South Asian, 587 Southeast Asian, and 124 multiethnic Asian adults. Participants completed an online survey with questions related to sociodemographics, health status, and diet and food shopping behaviors, including questions related to COVID‐19. Logistic and linear regression were used to compare differences in survey responses by Asian ethnic subgroup.ResultsCompared to other AA subgroups, a higher percentage of Asian Indian (17%), Filipino (13%), Vietnamese (12%), and Korean (11%) adults reported no longer getting food resources they were receiving before COVID‐19 (e.g., mobile meals, food pantry items). The percentage of Filipino (8%) and Vietnamese (7%) adults who reported not having enough money to buy food they need was also higher than other AA subgroups. And a higher percentage of Asian Indian adults (7%) reported not having a way to get to the food store since COVID‐19 than other AA subgroups.ConclusionsPrevious work has not included disaggregated data, which may mask important disparities in food access and food insecurity among people hit hardest by COVID‐19, such as Filipino, Vietnamese, and Asian Indian households.

New Retailing Problem for an Integrated Food Supply Chain in the Baking Industry

As coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to spread, online consumption habits in China have changed significantly. Thus, the booming online-to-offline (O2O) food ordering and delivery industry via the online bakery have been changing customers’ food shopping behavior. This article proposes a comparison relying on advanced O2O strategy for a single-vendor-single-retailer integrated system. Three coordination mechanisms consist of revenue-sharing, buy-back, and quantity flexibility contracts have been employed for optimizing the order quantity. Replenishment strategies and temperature for the supply chain members are considered based on the new retailing framework. Herein, the authors suggest an algorithm for the computation of the optimal solution. Lastly, numerical examples and sensitivity analysis are also conducted to clarify the usefulness of the proposed model in the food supply chain. Sensitivity analysis revealed a number of managerial insights. For example, the results obtained under O2O operations can be compared with those obtained under online/offline operations (under various parameters settings) to determine an opportune moment for three coordination mechanisms.

Impact of Information on Food Stocking during Early Period of COVID-19 Outbreak: Survey Exploration between Canada and US Consumers

We summarize the exploration results from a survey study that asks Canada and U.S. consumers questions related to their acquisition and processing of information related to the COVID-19 pandemic, situation assessment at the beginning of outbreak, as well as food shopping and stocking behavior during the lockdown. Our analyses identified unique factors influencing consumers’ situation assessment and stockpiling decisions that are going along with the emerging social and cultural trends over the past two decades. These include the wide reach of internet-based media, multiple sources of information in terms of different media types, media languages as well as communication across country borders towards an individual’s immigration and other ethnicity background. Information obtained from social media sources is found to have statistically different impact on the initial situation assessment between Canada and U.S. customers. But learning COVID-19 news from non-English media source significantly increases the seriousness perception of consumers from both countries. Information acquisition from multiple language sources also makes a Canadian customer more likely to stockpiling food items. Consumers’ food stocking behavior from both countries are under the influence of societal and economic factors such as job security. Findings from our research contribute to the ongoing global efforts in mitigating COVID-19’s negative impact by generating effective policy and strategic recommendations for government and business communities to implement collaborative and constructive actions under the global pandemic.

Online Shopping Behavior among Food Consumers during Pandemic: a Cross Generation Study

Shopping for food is a necessity that will continue to occur before the pandemic, during a pandemic, and post-pandemic. Pandemics that occur around the world also affect human behaviour, including food shopping behaviour. This study aims to analyze shopping behaviour and changes in shopping behaviour during a pandemic. Consumers prefer to choose online shopping in pandemic situations according to safety. Data were collected by interviewing 12 respondents from the generation of baby boomers, X, Y, and Z. The data were processed using a qualitative approach using N-Vivo software. Research results showed that there were differences in food shopping behaviour during the pandemic. This research suggests that the food industry pays attention to shopping behaviour change during a pandemic to change strategies to get opportunities in the market. Novelty in this study is the first cross-generational qualitative analysis of food shopping behaviour among Indonesian consumers.

Food consumption behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We conducted an online consumer survey in May 2020 in two major metropolitan areas in the United States to investigate food shopping behaviors and consumption during the pandemic lockdown caused by COVID‐19. The results of this study parallel many of the headlines in the popular press at the time. We found that about three‐quarters of respondents were simply buying the food they could get due to out of stock situations and about half the participants bought more food than usual. As a result of foodservice closures, consumers indicated purchasing more groceries than normal. Consumers attempted to avoid shopping in stores, relying heavily on grocery delivery and pick‐up services during the beginning of the pandemic when no clear rules were in place. Results show a 255% increase in the number of households that use grocery pickup as a shopping method and a 158% increase in households that utilize grocery delivery services. The spike in pickup and delivery program participation can be explained by consumers fearing COVID‐19 and feeling unsafe. Food consumption patterns for major food groups seemed to stay the same for the majority of participants, but a large share indicated that they had been snacking more since the beginning of the pandemic which was offset by a sharp decline in fast food consumption.

A special issue addressing healthful food access and food insecurity: risk factors, behavioral variables, interventions, and measurement.

This article introduces a special issue in Translational Behavioral Medicine that focuses on translational aspects of food insecurity research. The purpose of this special issue was to add to the evidence base to inform short- and intermediate-term intervention development and implementation and to spark additional future discourse around these important topics. The special issue included 12 articles and 2 commentaries roughly evenly split across four topic areas, including subpopulation food insecurity risk factors; food behaviors and psychosocial variables; implementation and/or evaluation of food insecurity interventions; and food insecurity-related measurement issues. The articles in this special issue offer a number of contributions to the translational literature specific to food insecurity. They add to our understanding that depression, stress, and social isolation (sometimes related to language barriers) may play a large role in individuals' food insecurity experience. The articles explored the differences between food insecure and food secure households in relation to food and grocery shopping behaviors, and nutritional self-efficacy. In addition, authors described the implementation and/or efficacy of interventions meant to promote healthful diets and food access among food insecure populations. And finally, several studies explored current measurement issues such as intra-household subjectivity, disconnect between perceived and objective measures of food access, and a need for more holistic and nutrition-focused measurement approaches. While there are deeper systemic factors driving food insecurity, the findings provided in this special issue can help guide those addressing the current challenges faced by food insecure households that struggle to achieve healthful diets.