Organic food and obesity: factors influencing actual purchase of organic food in COVID-19 pandemic with moderating role of organic food availability

Purpose: Organic food consumption decreases the risk of becoming obese or overweight. This study intends to see the influence of customer perceived value, COVID-19 fear, food neophobia, effort and natural content on the intention to purchase organic food (IPOF) that leads to the actual purchase of organic food (APOF). Moreover, organic food availability is a moderator between IPOF and APOF. Design/methodology/approach: PLS-SEM is used for hypothesis testing. A purposive sampling technique was followed to gather data from organic food consumers in Lahore, Gujranwala and Islamabad and a total of 479 questionnaires were part of the analysis. Findings The outcomes show that customer perceived value, effort and natural content is positively related to IPOF. Despite this, COVID-19 fear and food neophobia are negatively associated with IPOF. IPOF and organic food availability are positively related to APOF. Finally, organic food availability significantly moderated between IPOF and APOF. Practical implications: This study outcome reveals that companies of organic food can recognize customer perceived value, COVID-19 fear, food neophobia, effort, natural content and organic food availability in their decision-making if they determine the actual purchase of organic food. This study offers a valuable policy to companies of organic food to enhance customer's behavior in purchasing organic food in Pakistan. Besides, practitioners and academicians can benefit from this study finding. Originality/value: This initial research integrates customer perceived value, COVID-19 fear, food neophobia, effort, natural content, IPOF and organic food availability to determine APOF in the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, consumption value theory is followed to develop the framework.

Perceptions of food among adult African Americans in the primary care setting

Introduction: The medical population lacks satisfactory information concerning the views regarding food perception among both male and female adult African Americans with consideration of chronic diseases, highest education level and marital status. The idea has not been fully exploited in research which has provoked the study. This study examines the views of food perception in relation to the health care and wellbeing of individuals. It offers satisfactory data that would in turn bring about the easy understanding of different perceptions concerning food choices, evaluating whether level of education and chronic disease play any role in decision making. It aims to make recommendations of the need for deploying healthier diet practices for better health outcomes. Methodology: The research is a mixed qualitative and quantitative study using both recorded interviews and a demographic questionnaire for data collection. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the demographic questionnaire was transcribed by the investigator according to the volunteer participant's verbalized answers, who were conveniently selected on their scheduled clinic visit day. The participant read and signed the form after hands sanitized containing 70% ethyl alcohol gel. The second part of the study was a telephonic interview, which was recorded, and information transcribed onto an excel worksheet in preparation for analysis. Data was collected and tabulated in an excel worksheet and then uploaded to Statistical Packages and Software Services (SPSS) an IBM application that aided in simplifying data presentation in the form of graphs which made it easier to draw conclusions. Results: There were 65 participants with 48 females and seventeen 17 males, and 56.9% with a college education in the study of which 84.6% were responsible for buying and preparing food. From the research analysis of the collected data, it was discovered that 43.1% of participants admitted to not eating healthy, 23.1% being influenced by maintaining health, 21.5% to being influenced by taste, and 15.4% eating as their medical condition recommends. Conclusion: To promote healthier food choices we need to embrace useful education and motivation strategies to encourage healthy food perception and hence healthy eating. To minimize the risks that may emerge from unhealthy food perceptions, the recommendation is crucial for meaningful collaboration with African Americans to prioritize and implement improved dietary habits and reduce diet-related chronic diseases. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Analysis of Determinants of Food Preferences in a Polish Population-Based Sample of Primary School Adolescents: Diet and Activity of Youth during COVID-19 (DAY-19) Study.

For the choices of food products, food preferences are crucial, as they influence the intake of nutrients and the resultant quality of diet, but in Poland, no studies of food preferences were conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic on a population of young adolescents. The aim of this study was to analyze the determinants of food preferences in a Polish population-based sample of primary school adolescents as part of the Diet and Activity of Youth during COVID-19 (DAY-19) Study. The DAY-19 Study focused on a national sample of a population of primary school adolescents who were recruited based on cluster sampling of participants from counties and schools, yielding a sample of 5039 individuals. Their food preferences were assessed using the Food Preference Questionnaire (FPQ), and they were compared in subgroups stratified by (1) gender: male and female; (2) age: younger (10-13 years) and older (14-16 years); (3) place of residence: urban and rural; (4) Body Mass Index (BMI): underweight, normal body weight, and overweight/obese (assessed based on Polish growth reference values); and (5) physical activity level: low and moderate (assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire for children aged 10-13 (IPAQ-C) and adolescents aged 14-16 (IPAQ-A)). In the population of adolescents, no statistically significant differences in food preferences between subgroups stratified by gender were observed (p > 0.05). For boys, none of the studied factors (age, place of residence, BMI, physical activity level) was statistically significant determinant of food preferences (p < 0.05), while for girls, all of them were statistically significant determinants (p > 0.05). All the assessed factors (age, place of residence, BMI, physical activity level) in girls were associated with preferences for snacks, and older girls, those from a rural environment, those who were underweight and overweight/obese, as well as those having a low physical activity level declared a higher preference for snacks than younger ones (p = 0.0429), those from an urban environment (p = 0.0484), those of a normal body weight (p = 0.0091), and those having a moderate physical activity level (p = 0.0083). Similarly, girls from rural environments declared a higher preference for starches than those from urban environments (p = 0.0103), and girls having a low physical activity level declared a higher preference for fruit than those having a moderate physical activity level (p = 0.0376). Taking this into account, the population of girls, in particular, needs dedicated educational actions to support proper nutritional habits. Additionally, older age, living in a rural environment, being underweight and overweight/obese, and having a low physical activity level may be indicated as factors predisposing one to food preferences potentially promoting unhealthy dietary habits.

Prepared food on the trail: exploring sustainability in outdoor recreation food choices. (Special Issue: Covid-19 and outdoor recreation.)

Given the breadth and depth of environmental concerns such as biodiversity loss and climate change, sustainability is a topic for all sectors of contemporary society, inclusive of outdoor recreation. The guiding global framework focus for sustainability is the United Nations Agenda 2030;this framework is used to support a transition to a more sustainable society. Within outdoor recreation, sustainability can be explored and pursued from a multitude of perspectives, for example, participant behavior, outdoor recreation product production, or outdoor resource management. This paper will provide one small example of how an element of outdoor recreation, prepared backcountry food, can serve as a model for the numerous other questions that need to be addressed to pursue more sustainable outdoor recreation. The research will highlight the complexity of the details of sustainability and the opportunity for sustainable transitions. Outdoor recreation participants make extraordinary decisions as they plan and execute their participation;sustainability can be one of those critical decisions.

Customer preference in food vendor during the COVID-19 pandemic: a case study of university student

The canteen is the public place that sells and serves foods and drinks to the consumer. The study aimed to determine the attributes considered important for the consumer to select the food vendor during the COVID-19 pandemic at the BINUS University, Alam Sutera Campus canteen. The study was conducted by using conjoint analysis in which respondents were Bina Nusantara University students (n = 100) who had visited and consumed food in the canteen of BINUS University, Alam Sutera Campus. The results showed that the COVID-19 pandemic changed the crucial attributes for the consumer to select the food vendor. Nowadays, the attributes with the highest to the lowest importance values are personal hygiene, environmental sanitation, price, and food freshness. Therefore, the respondent will consider buying food from food vendors that promote their staff's hygiene, such as wearing masks, gloves, head covering, and washing hands. Besides, the respondents preferred the food vendor with a clean display window, within the price of 20.000 – 25.000 IDR, and freshly-cooked food.

Effects of the COVID-19 crisis on household food consumption and child nutrition in Mozambique

This study investigates the short-term impacts of an aggregate socioeconomic shock on household food consumption and children's nutrition using the case of the COVID-19 pandemic in Mozambique. In response to the economic downturn, households are expected to adjust their food choices both in terms of quality, towards cheaper and unhealthier food, and quantity, reducing diet diversification and increasing the exposure to malnutrition, mainly for children. Empirical evidence on such immediate effects is still scarce, mainly due to a lack of data. This paper aims to fill the evidence gap by relying on household survey data from 2019-20, which includes a detailed consumption module and anthropometric measures for children under five. We use a repeated cross-sectional econometric analysis to look at the variation in household food consumption and child nutrition before and after the pandemic. The results show that there has been a significant reduction in household food consumption and per capita caloric intake and an increase in stunting, especially among newborn children.

A research on food safety in Turkey after the COVID-19 pandemic

The aim of the study is to investigate the food safety perception of consumers during and after the covid 19 pandemic. Surveys were administered to a total of 1000 people from all regions of Turkey via the internet. The survey data were defined as frequency and percentage, and analyzed by nonparametric test methods for dependent and independent groups. As a result of the analysis, it has been determined that the knowledge and awareness levels of consumers about food safety are generally high, and that there are significant differences according to education, age and region. It was observed that the participants did not differ much between their food preferences before and during COVID-19, but they were more careful about health and packaging safety. In other words, the anxiety level of the participants increased during COVID-19. In addition, it was found that with the increasing of education level and age, the awareness and knowledge of the food preferences of the participants also increased. As another factor affecting consumer behavior, the result of the anxiety level measurement that can be evaluated within the scope of perceived risk, it was determined that 76.4% of the participants would prefer more packaged food products during and during the pandemic period. The results of the study support that consumers' preferences in situations of uncertainty are shaped according to their risk perceptions and there is an increase in their anxiety levels.

Organic food consumption in emerging markets after COVID-19: value-attitude-behaviour model

This study aims to analyse the factors responsible to change the attitudes, intentions, and actual purchasing behaviour of customers toward organic food products in Indian and Nepalese consumers. In the current situation of COVID-19, we are more conscious about our food consumption. Organic food has become very famous at this time because of its use of natural and non-harmful factors of production. This study focuses on changing food habits and consumption patterns of consumers toward more healthy organic food. The sample size of this study is 600. Smart PLS and Mann-Whitney test are used to analyse the data. Safety, awareness and attributes have a positive impact on trust formation towards green organic food. Results of the study shows that perceived health, hedonic and social value positively influence consumers' attitudes, which leads to positive intention, which finally leads to green purchase behaviour of consumers.

Antecedents of obesity among Indian youth: from consumer psychological and lifestyle perspective

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to determine the antecedents of obesity among the younger generation of Indians (Generation Y) from a psychological and lifestyle consumer perspective. The study also investigates the moderating role of demography on the body mass index (BMI) of Indian youths.Design/methodology/approachThe study initially develops a conceptual model, stemming from an extensive theoretical research, and subsequently validates this using structural equation modeling (SEM) technique with a sample size of 1,242 Indian youths.FindingsThe study concludes that consumers' food habits (FH) and physical activity (PA) positively impact consumers' physical health (PH), which influences their BMI levels (BLs). Anxiety (AX), depression (DE), stress (ST), peer pressure (PP) and work pressure (WP) impact individuals' mental health (MH), which also influences their BLs. Finally, there is a significant moderating impact of demographic factors, such as age (AG), gender (GE) and income levels (ILs) on the relationship between individuals' physical and MH and individuals' BLs.Research limitations/implicationsThis study proposes a new model which highlights the issue of youth consumer obesity from the psychological and lifestyle perspectives. The model is effective as it has a high explanative power of 73%. The study investigates consumer obesity from emerging market like India perspective, but the study does not examine consumer food consumption behavior and obesity from developed market perspective.Practical implicationsYouth obesity could be considered a global pandemic, and obesity rates among the Indian youth are also increasing. This study provides valuable inputs and understanding of consumer markets to policy makers, consumer protection institutions, organizations related to the food and beverage industry, healthcare workers and consumers themselves regarding the antecedents of youth obesity (BL) in developing and emerging markets.Originality/valueThe study adds value to the body of literature related to consumer obesity, FH, consumer psychology and lifestyle through findings that are new in terms of findings' specificity, contextual focus and explication. Moreover, the study extends the cognitive theory of DE and the theory of planned behavior (TPB). The research effectively offers significant theoretical and practicable market knowledge to both scholars and marketing practitioners, as well as policy makers and institutions dealing with youth obesity, particularly in emerging markets.

Obesity and the brain. Winter Conference 2021, 7-8 December 2021

This journal issue includes 48 articles that discuss development and validation of a novel quality assessment tool to measure the quality of nutrition information online;longitudinal association between takeaway food environment and secondary school adolescents BMI and body fat percentage;dietary practices, beliefs, and behaviours among adults with inflammatory bowel disease;postpartum depression in Irish mothers and associations with infant feeding practices;the impact of dietary saturated fat replacement with unsaturated fat on the plasma lipidome and cardiometabolic disease risk;ole of brain serotonin in age-related decline in physical activity in mice;ey stakeholder perceptions of food allergies within the airline industry;sleep quality of higher education students during COVID-19 and its association with diet quality and lifestyle behaviours.

P048 Social Media's Influence on Adolescents' Food Preferences Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

Additional time spent on social media (SM) due to the COVID-19 pandemic, increased adolescents' exposure to food and beverage (F&B) advertisements. The marketing of unhealthy F&B products featuring celebrities and influencers may contribute to an increased preference towards various products, potentially influencing consumption patterns and increasing one's long-term health risk. The objective of this study was to examine SM's influence on adolescents' food and beverage preferences during the COVID-19 pandemic and explore their parents' perceptions of this phenomenon. Three, one-hour, semi-structured virtual focus groups were conducted with seven dyads of 6th grade students and their parents (n = 14) from a suburban school district in northeastern Pennsylvania. Students and parents participated in separate focus groups and completed a demographic survey that included SM use characteristics in June-September 2021. Focus group transcripts were transcribed, coded, and analyzed by both authors using a constant comparison approach. Three themes that emerged from adolescents were: increased SM usage, factors that increased consumption, and increased recall of memorable aspects of F&B advertisements. Themes that emerged from parents were: parental observations of adolescents' less healthy eating behaviors, parental influence over F&B purchases, and increased engagement in food trends seen on SM. These themes suggest increased SM use influenced adolescents' ability to recall specific F&B brands and potentially influenced consumption. Safeguards seem to remain in place regarding parents' influence over the adolescents' F&B purchase requests. Additionally, parents may be aware of the targeted marketing used on SM and its potential to influence adolescents' eating behaviors. These findings suggest the importance for parents, dietitians, and other healthcare providers to be aware of increased SM usage and the potential influence F&B advertisements may have on adolescent eating behaviors. These findings will also be important for nutrition educators to understand when teaching these risks to students/future practitioners. Villanova University's Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program

P003 Feasibility of Using MMCA Strategies to Promote Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Selection and Prevent Food Waste in Food Pantries

Fresh fruits and vegetables (FFV) are often discarded by food pantries due to perishability. Emerging research documents the effectiveness of marketing-mix and choice-architecture (MMCA) strategies to increase client selection of FFV and reduce food waste in food pantries. To explore perceptions of Virginia food pantry personnel on the feasibility of implementing MMCA strategies to improve clients' selection of FFV and decrease food waste during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional, 24-item online survey was conducted with food pantry personnel representing 68 food pantries in Virginia. Participants were recruited through existing partnerships with SNAP-Ed and EFNEP employees between April to May 2021. The survey examined food distribution methods, perceived feasibility of 15 MMCA sub-strategies, and factors explaining the feasibility of MMCA strategies. Descriptive statistics were used to describe food pantry characteristics, food distribution methods, and feasible MMCA sub-strategies. Binary logistic regression tests determined factors predicting perceived feasibility of MMCA sub-strategies. Over three-quarters of food pantries (n = 55, 80.9%) distributed food using a touchless, pre-packed method to support safety measures, which limited the feasibility of implementing most MMCA sub-strategies. Regardless of distribution method, offering recipe cards (promotion) was the most feasible sub-strategy (80.6%). Of the 18 (26.5%) food pantries that reported using the client-choice distribution method, feasible sub-strategies included placing FFV in attractive baskets (83.3%) (place) and increasing the number of FFV clients can select (83.3%) (pricing). Factors predicting the (in)feasibility of MMCA strategies included the perception that these strategies were effective in helping clients make healthier choices and misalignment of strategies with current food pantry food distribution method. To increase the adoption of MMCA strategies, researchers and practitioners need to match MMCA strategies with perceptions of food pantry staff and food pantry distribution methods. Future research could examine required implementation resources, client acceptability and sustainability of MMCA strategies, and the potential of these strategies to reduce food waste within food pantries and clients' households. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – Education;Virginia Tech Department of Human Nutrition, Food, and Exercise

COVID-19 pandemic and behaviour of Indian consumers: a sustainable transition

In this paper, we offer some preliminary examinations of how COVID-19 pandemic affects Indian consumers' behaviour. In this paper, data is collected from various Indian consumers from different cities. 300 consumers are randomly selected to fill the questionnaire. (76 responses are from a semi-urban city in Uttar Pradesh, Aligarh, 70 were from Delhi/NCR, 100 were from Hyderabad and 54 were from Bangalore). We argue that COVID-19 pandemic offers great opportunities for businesses. We also discuss some potential directions of how consumer sustainable decision making has been shifted due to this pandemic. The results show that Indian consumers' interests have been shifted towards online retailing, online payments, sustainable food habits, and a sustainable lifestyle. This study will help the businesses as well the academicians in determining what consumers are preferring during this COVID-19 pandemic. This is the first study conducted in India that addressed the consumers' behaviours at the best knowledge of the authors.

Preferred rendering of memory colors

With the rise in high quality displays and cameras following the mainstream adoption of smartphones, image quality has become an essential aspect of engaging and attracting consumers. In the case of smartphones, the bar raises with release of every new generation. There are many factors affecting image quality such as sharpness, image noise or non-uniformity, and geometric distortion, but it is fair to say that color plays a vital role in the perceived quality of an image. Colors not only spark emotions and engage a user but also decide the likability of a certain image. Over the past few years computational photography techniques have become a major differentiating factor between camera manufacturers. These techniques are used to enhance certain features of an image such that it is more pleasing to the viewer. It is important to understand better the perceived and preferred image quality for pictures and to develop a procedure for evaluating them as a part of the camera/display development and design process.This dissertation focuses on exploring such preferred color image renderings using different methodologies of perceptual assessments. We focus on common scenes that contains memory objects such as grass, sky, skin tone, beach sand and food items. In particular, we also focus on white balance preference of an image which controls the appearance of the object in the scene under different illumination. The ultimate goal of this dissertation is to address how we perceive color quality and to develop procedures for its evaluation, and to assess preferred color image rendering. These results can be used to help design better cameras and displays by improving color image quality.In order to achieve the goal of the dissertation, we focus on investigating the preferred rendering of common scenes that contains memory objects, scenes captured under different illumination - controlled and uncontrolled light settings. First we address how we perceive memory colors, with and without pictorial scene content. Then we study the impact of different texture types on these memory colors, along with understanding the relationship between memory color and color quality preference. This dissertation also addresses the color quality of video conference calls using virtual backgrounds, which has been a common means of communication since COVID19 pandemic. In particular, it focuses on the preferred color balance for images with a foreground model against a virtual background. To further investigate the white balance preference settings, we assessed images where the foreground, containing a person, is illuminated by a different correlated color temperature (CCT) than the background, which includes several targets. Models having different skin tones were used. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Description of the risk factors of children's growth and development

The growth and development of children is very important, as this would form the foundation for the quality of future generations in the nation. The slightest developmental disorders in infancy, if not detected and not handled properly will lead to a bad impact. Various genetic and environmental factors influence Toddler growth and development. Purpose: To distinguish the description of the risk factors related to child growth and development. Method: This research uses quantitative method. The design of the research is based on a cross-sectional approach in the analysis survey design. In the study, all toddlers under 59 month old were collected using a total of 366 samples in 2020 at the Ngalang Village, Gedangsari public health center and Gunungkidul Regency. Data analysis used univariate analysis of frequency distribution.

Is Buying Local Food a Sustainable Practice? A Scoping Review of Consumers’ Preference for Local Food

Access to healthy food and the introduction of sustainable nutrition practices are two important issues today. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new challenges to food security but it has also provided opportunities for local food production. The discussion on local food has been gaining attention in recent years, but there is still a lack of clear understanding of the term ‘local food’ in the literature. The relationship between local food and sustainability issues is still unclear and has various connotations. This discordance leads to further discussions on whether buying local food should be considered a sustainable behavior and whether consumer preference for local food can be perceived as a sustainable practice. A scoping literature review was conducted in order to fill this gap and to shed light on the main tendencies of the scientific literature regarding this topic. The outcomes of the research revealed three dimensions of ‘local food’ definitions in the literature: geographical, geopolitical, and organic;while the problem of a unified local food definition remains open. The studied literature did not show any sound evidence for sustainability attributes in the definition of local food and consumer perception of local food.

Improving adolescents' food choices: learnings from the Bhalo Khabo Bhalo Thakbo ("eat well, live well") campaign in Bangladesh

BANGLADESH. What this article is about: This article details the co-design, implementation and early evaluation results of an initiative for promoting the consumption of nutritious foods in adolescents. The initiative involved school and community activities, social media and celebrity endorsements and a pledge for individual and collective action. Key messages: * Despite baseline surveys indicating that many adolescents had poor access to the internet, a social media-focused intervention proved to be an effective strategy to target this group during the COVID-19 pandemic when internet usage increased dramatically. * By building a narrative that tapped into adolescents' motivations, the Bhalo Khabo Bhalo Thakbo campaign was able to spark the interest and engagement of adolescents for improving their consumption of nutritious foods.

Healthy Food Environments in Food Pantries: Lessons Learned from a Sodium Reduction Intervention.

In the United States, food pantries increasingly serve as regular food sources for low income households experiencing high rates of chronic disease, including hypertension. Sodium consumption is a modifiable risk factor for hypertension, so pantry customers would benefit from access to low-sodium foods. Pantry customers often experience difficulty acquiring healthy foods, however; little is known about pantry foods' sodium content specifically. This study assesses the sodium content of pantry foods and lessons learned from an adaptable intervention to support pantries in adopting policies and environmental changes to make healthy, lower-sodium foods appealing and accessible. We conducted sodium assessments of food at 13 food pantries, tracked implementation of intervention strategies, and interviewed 10 pantry directors. More than half of food items in 11 categories met sodium standards for foods to be chosen "often". Pantry directors reported valuing the intervention approach and implemented six of nine behavioral economics strategies, especially those targeting the visibility and convenience of foods, along with layout changes and expanded customer choice. One pantry adopted an agency-specific nutrition policy and 12 adopted a coalition-level policy. Results can inform intervention efforts to make available healthy options appealing and easy to select while also improving the customer experience in food pantries.

Introduction to Special Issue on “Social Justice in Agricultural and Environmental Economics”

Whereas, addressing food insecurity sheds light on public health problems in weight control, nutritional monitoring, and chronic and life-threatening illnesses (Campbell, 1991;Gunderson and Ziliak, 2015;Seligman etal., 2007, 2010), which are generally attributable to economic disparities (Coleman-Jenson etal. 2018). [...]food insecurity has increased as a result of labor market pressures, leading to joblessness, income losses, and supply chain disruptions (United Nations 2020;Cardoso etal., 2021;Udmale etal., 2020). [...]varying aspects of agricultural disparities have warranted much attention because of their global implications for food insecurity (O’Hara and Toussaint, 2021;Power etal., 2020;Battersby, 2020;Liverpool-Tasie etal., 2021). [...]behavioral food demands and agricultural supply chains have become important for the social justice perspective in agriculture. If teaching healthy food habits has a limited impact on sustainable demand for healthy food (Janda etal. 2021), then areas where food worries, supplemental assistance, poor access to healthy food options, and environmental health concerns are insurmountable experience institutional barriers to agricultural demand (Clay and Rogus, 2021;Wolfson and Leung CW, 2020 (1 and 2);Niles etal. 2020;Rosas etal. 2022).