The Determinants of Positive Food Procurement Practices in COVID-19 Affected Communities: A Cross-Sectional Study Conducted in Chiredzi Zimbabwe

The coronavirus pandemic has led to diminished income, which threatens nutrition security. Cash transfer programs increase the resilience of poor and vulnerable households by giving them an improved ability to obtain food and healthcare, which lead to nutrition security. However, the provision of cash does not necessarily translate to ideal behaviours, such as procuring nutritious foods. This study investigated the determinants of procurement of legumes and animal source foods amongst potential beneficiaries of a cash transfer project. We conducted a barrier analysis study in Chiredzi, Zimbabwe. Structured interviews were administered to 90 purposively sampled respondents (45 doers and 45 non-doers). The study investigated the four most common behavioural determinants, perceived self-efficacy, perceived social norms, perceived positive consequences and perceived negative consequences. Non-doers were 1.89 times more likely to state that receiving social assistance would make it easier to procure legumes and animal source foods for household consumption. Non-doers were 2.05 times more likely to state that the ability to barter their own possessions for legumes and animal source foods would make it easier to purchase the items for household consumption. Doers were 4.5 times more likely to report that relish comprising of animal source foods or legumes and pulses was tastier than other relishes. Doers were 12 times more likely to report that most people approve of purchasing animal source foods and legumes for household consumption. Doers were 3.23 times more likely to identify friends and relatives as the members of the community that approved of this behaviour. We identified three determinants of the procurement of legumes and animal-source foods, namely, perceived self-efficacy, social norms and perceived positive consequences. Cash transfer projects provide a first step to achieving nutrition security in the new normal but must be delivered with a context-specific behaviour change intervention. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023.

The gamification of nutrition labels to encourage healthier food selection in online grocery shopping: A randomized controlled trial.

Food purchase choices, one of the main determinants of food consumption, is highly influenced by food environments. Given the surge in online grocery shopping because of the COVID-19 pandemic, interventions in digital environments present more than ever an opportunity to improve the nutritional quality of food purchase choices. One such opportunity can be found in gamification. Participants (n = 1228) shopped for 12 items from a shopping list on a simulated online grocery platform. We randomized them into four groups in a 2 × 2 factorial design: presence vs. absence of gamification, and high vs. low budget. Participants in the gamification groups saw foods with 1 (least nutritious) to 5 (most nutritious) crown icons and a scoreboard with a tally of the number of crowns the participant collected. We estimated ordinary least squares and Poisson regression models to test the impact of the gamification and budget on the nutritional quality of the shopping basket. In the absence of gamification and low budget, participants collected 30.78 (95% CI [30.27; 31.29]) crowns. In the gamification and low budget condition, participants increased the nutritional quality of their shopping basket by collecting more crowns (B = 4.15, 95% CI [3.55; 4.75], p < 0.001). The budget amount ($50 vs. $30) did not alter the final shopping basket (B = 0.45, 95% CI [-0.02; 1.18], p = 0.057), nor moderated the gamification effect. Gamification increased the nutritional quality of the final shopping baskets and nine of 12 shopping list items in this hypothetical experiment. Gamifying nutrition labels may be an effective strategy to improve the nutritional quality of food choices in online grocery stores, but further research is needed.

Emotions, perceived knowledge and food behaviors during stressful periods

PurposeThis paper aims to examine how emotions affect consumers' food choices and food preparation activities during stressful periods, using the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in China.Design/methodology/approachThis study used an online survey, with a sample of 1,050 individuals from 32 regions in China. Multi-regression and mediation models were used to test the relationships among perceived knowledge, emotions and food behaviors.FindingsThe results show that positive emotions positively affect healthy food consumption and engagement in food preparations. In contrast, negative emotions contribute to an increase in indulgent food consumption and quick-and-easy meal preparations. Increased knowledge of the current situation can enhance positive emotions and thus promote healthy food behaviors. Lacking knowledge may result in unhealthy food behaviors through negative emotions.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the understanding of emotions and food behaviors by examining the effects of both negative and positive emotions in the general population, exploring a wider constellation of food behaviors and identifying perceived knowledge as an important antecedent to emotions' effects on food behaviors. Implications for consumers and public policy are offered.

Impact of COVID- 19 on Eating Out Culture and Sensory Priorities

Purpose- The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether sensory priorities & dining out habits of the society were modified during COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.Design / Methodology/ Approach- Data was collected from a total 304 respondents comprising frequent diners, academicians and industry practitioners. A structured questionnaire was designed through a detailed discussion with academicians & practitioners. Exploratory factor analysis was used to explore most preferred food choice variables whereas a paired sample t test was performed to assess shifts in frequencies of eat out prior and post COVID 19 pandemic outbreak.Findings- 'Taste and flavor of the product' was most preferable sensory priority for food selection before pandemic. However, this priority has been replaced by hygiene, cleanliness, zero touch points and contactless order due to COVID-19 pandemic. Newly emerged most preferred food choice variables include touch less consumer experience, sanitized restaurants, food safety certifications, contactless order, health and hygiene. Restaurants had to reframe, restructure their SOPs and strategies to gain the confidence of the customers as an outbreak of a pandemic disrupted lifestyle whereas consumption pattern, dining habits of consumers were modified. Originality/value- This study reveals the modified dining out habits and conscious consumption led to changed sensory priorities, as a strategy to recover from a worldwide epidemic and transition to a "new normal" phase of the service sector.

Greek Semi-Hard and Hard Cheese Consumers' Perception in the New Global Era

The COVID-19 pandemic is almost over but has already left its mark and is changing the world fast and drastically in all social, economic, and cultural aspects of humanity, including consumers' choices and motives for foods. Since cheese is a major dietary food consumed daily worldwide, motives for its purchase and consumption in the new era are an important parameter affecting current and future production and sustainable regional development. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on Greek consumers' motives for quality semi-hard and hard cheese, including the "Ladotyri” hard cheese. Consumers' motives were tested using variables of quality semi-hard and hard cheese, such as purchase and consumption, preference of choice, preference, and knowledge of the Ladotyri cheese. A self-response questionnaire survey was carried out in November and December 2022 on a sample of 860 participants, the majority being young people aged 18–25 (83.9%), through the Google platform. Basic statistical tools, combined with cross and chi-square tests, were used to analyze the collected data. The results indicate no significant changes in consumers' motives except a significant decline in consumption, reaching up to 8.4%. Consumers continue to purchase the semi-hard and hard cheese from the supermarket (90%), with preference for the most known kinds, such as kasseri and graviera, consuming it at home (90.9%), daily (31.8%), or two times per week (38.3%), primarily with bread and olives (57.6%), followed by meat (53%). Price remains the most important information for the selection of semi-hard and hard cheese (73.5%), taste (97%) among the organoleptic parameters, texture (70.9%) among the appearance parameters, origin of milk (63.9%) among the sustainable parameters, and value for money (85.8%) among the general characteristics of the cheese. The participants expressed similar motives for the "Ladotyri” Mytilinis hard cheese, appreciating the olive oil combined with the cheese (79.7%) and the possible production as a non-refrigerated cheese (65.2%), even though the majority of them would not buy it today (57.4%). Our findings indicate that the sustainability and growth of the quality semi-hard and hard cheese in the new era should stick to the good practices of production, promotion, and sales developed before the pandemic, exploring, however, new avenues and practices to increase consumption, which is currently declining. © 2023 by the authors.

Changes in Food Security, Healthfulness, and Access During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: Results From a National United States Survey.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disrupted access to food and adequate nutrition and the types of foods consumed. However, little empiric data exists on the changes in American's food and nutrition habits 2 y into the pandemic. Objectives: To assess current and altered food choices ∼2 y into the COVID-19 pandemic in the months after historic public pandemic relief. Methods: A national sample of 1878 United States adults balanced by age, sex, race/ethnicity, and income completed a one-time, online, semi-quantitative, 44-item questionnaire in Fall 2021 asking about the demographics, COVID-19 food choice changes (including free-text), and consumer priorities. This analysis investigates COVID-19 impacts on food security, healthfulness, and access. Results: More than 35% of respondents reported improved food security and >45% reported improved food healthfulness compared with prepandemic status. Improvement was reported in more than 30% of Black/African-American and Hispanic/Latinx adults, adults with lower annual income, and female sex, despite over 75% reporting reduced choice of where to eat or buy food. The pandemic offered occasion for many to improve diet, but a similar number expressed that the pandemic destabilized healthy habits. Conclusions: Our novel findings suggest that by late 2021, most Americans had improved food security and food choice healthfulness, despite reduced access to food service and retail, although with worsening among a meaningful proportion of Americans as well as heterogeneity in these changes. Vigorous federal, state, city, and community responses to the pandemic may have played a role in improving the food security and food choice healthfulness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health crises differently impact health behaviors, but when accompanied by vigorous civic and community response, food security, and food healthfulness can be fortified.

Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Choice Motives: A Systematic Review

The economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has effected the global economy, with the main changes expected to affect human life in the future, including food consumption. However, could this pandemic be assumed as a threshold for the suspension of the usual rules behind food choices? This review highlights the changes in food choice motivations before, during, and after the pandemic that have been reported in the literature to date to answer the research question on the changes in food choice motives caused by the pandemic to consumers worldwide. The review comes up with ten key food motives important for consumers, namely health, convenience, sensory appeal, nutritional quality, moral concerns, weight control, mood and anxiety, familiarity, price, and shopping frequency behavior;these motives continue to be significant in the post-pandemic era. Our findings indicate that it is too premature to give definite answers as to what food choice motives in the post-COVID-19 era will be like. Consumers' perceptions and attitudes toward food in the new era are contradictory, depending on the country of the study, the average age, and the sex of the study group. These controversial results illustrate that, for food consumption, motives depend on the population being searched, with changes identified occurring in two directions. The definite answers will be given in three to five years when the new conditions will be clear and a number of studies will have been published. Even though it is too early to fully understand the definite food choice motive changes, defining a "new" index of consumer satisfaction is necessary since it can alter the food sale strategies of retail managers, food companies, and the other parties involved in the agri-food chain.

Dinner planning and preparation considerations of parents with children attending childcare.

The objective of this study was to explore the meal-related thought processes, planning, and purchasing behaviors of primary caregivers on weeknights. A mixed-methods study design was applied using a cross-sectional survey and qualitative interviews. Thirty-three primary caregivers from early childhood education centers were enrolled in the study. Descriptive statistics of sample characteristics were conducted and an a-priori thematic analysis of interview recordings was completed using NVivo Qualitative software. The following key themes were identified: satisfaction with dinner, feeding behaviors before the COVID-19 pandemic, regretful feeding experiences, meal planning, food purchasing, social support, and general feelings about dinner preparation and cooking. Important considerations for food purchasing included family satisfaction, price, convenience, and healthfulness. Satisfaction around dinner choices varied, with dissatisfaction often related to a bad workday, being stressed, or making meals that family members disliked. Findings demonstrate the need for more research and interventions around the topic of meal planning and preparation, specifically for working parents, that further examine tasks required for providing meals, the physical and cognitive time for meal preparation, and helpful means of support.

The relationship of fast food consumption with sociodemographic factors, body mass index and dietary habits among university students

Purpose>University students are one of the vulnerable groups in terms of having nutritional problems due to their lifestyle and social environment. This study aims to determine the consumption of fast food among university students and evaluate factors that may impact it, such as sociodemographic factors, body mass index (BMI) or nutritional habits.Design/methodology/approach>A cross-sectional study was conducted among a random sample of 184 university students (47.8% men and 52.2% women) with a mean age of 21.1 ± 2.0 years. The survey included students' sociodemographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, nutritional habits and fast-food consumption. Chi-square test, t-test and binary logistic regression analysis were used depending on the characteristics of the data.Findings>Results indicated that 39.7% of the students consumed fast food at least once in 15 days and preferred these foods for taste, workload and social activity. Consumption of fast food occurred at an earlier age in men (%13.6) and the portions were higher than portions of vegetables (p = 0.001). By using regression analysis, a statistically significant relationship was found between the frequency of fast-food consumption and age, gender, economic status, BMI, the amount of vegetables consumed daily and the habit of eating breakfast (p < 0.05).Research limitations/implications>It is planned to reach more students in the study. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, transportation to students became difficult or could not be reached.Originality/value>This study is one of the rare studies examining students' orientation to fast food. The number of studies in this field in Turkey is limited.

Impact of Covid- 19 on Eating out Culture and Sensory Priorities

This study is an attempt to understand the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, which essentially demands social distancing, on growing culture of eating out in consumers and determinants of food choices/ restaurant selection. The present study contributes to the changing sensory priorities and eating out habits due to the COVID-19 pandemic, using the data from frequent diners, academicians and industry practitioners. A sample of 304 respondents from Pune City and Mumbai MMR actively participated in an online survey. A random sampling method was used for this survey due to pandemic lockdown Major revolutions have been emerged in the dining habits of food lovers such as, zero touch points, contactless deliveries etc.‘Taste and flavor of the product’ was most preferable sensory priority for food selection before pandemic. However, this priority has been replaced by ‘hygiene, cleanliness, zero touch points and contactless order due to COVID-19 pandemic. Newly emerged most preferred food choice variables include touch less consumer experience, sanitized restaurants, food safety certifications, contactless order, health and hygiene. This indicates that restaurants need to reframe, restructure their SOPs and strategies to gain the confidence of the customers as COVID-19 may have a long-lasting effect and show repercussion in many more ways than thought.

Exploring young Australians' understanding of sustainable and healthy diets: a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE: This qualitative study aimed to explore young Australians' perspectives, motivators and current practices in achieving a sustainable and healthy diet. DESIGN: Semi-structured online interviews were conducted with young Australians. Interviews were audio-recorded using the online Zoom platform, transcribed and analysed using a deductive analysis method by applying the Theoretical Domains Framework and inductive thematic data analysis. SETTING: Young Australians recruited via social media platforms, noticeboard announcements and flyers. SUBJECTS: Twenty-two Australians aged 18 to 25 years. RESULTS: The majority of participants were aware of some aspects of a sustainable and healthy diet and indicated the need to reduce meat intake, increase intake of plant-based foods, reduce food wastage and packaging and reduce food miles. Young adults were motivated to adopt more sustainable dietary practices but reported that individual and environmental factors such as low food literacy, limited food preparation and cooking skills, lack of availability and accessibility of environmentally friendly food options and costs associated with sustainable and healthy diets hindered their ability to do so. CONCLUSIONS: Given the barriers faced by many of our participants, there is a need for interventions aimed at improving food literacy and food preparation and cooking skills as well as those that create food environments that make it easy to select sustainable and healthy diets. Future research is needed for longitudinal larger scale quantitative studies to confirm our qualitative findings. In addition, the development and evaluation of individual and micro-environmental-based interventions promote sustainable and healthy diets more comprehensively.

Impacts of COVID-19 Sanitary Cues on Hedonic Appreciation of Foods.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to several lifestyle changes, including eating behavior. Herein, we aimed to evaluate how pandemic-related sanitary cues presented in food videos impact food appraisal and desire to eat, and their priming after-effects on subsequent food pictures presented without such cues. In two online sessions, separated by 4 to 7 days, participants watched either a Non-Pandemic or a Pandemic video of a woman eating, the latter containing sanitary elements adopted during the pandemic. The order of the videos was counterbalanced across participants over the two experimental sessions. Videos were followed by images of food from different categories. After observing both videos and each picture, participants were instructed to evaluate the visual aspect, expected smell and flavor, and rate their desire to eat. Our study demonstrated (1) higher hedonic responses to the Non-Pandemic compared to the Pandemic video, (2) a priming effect showing higher appreciation for sweet foods after the Non-Pandemic compared to the Pandemic video, (3) that food exposure gradually increases one's desire to eat, but such effects are impacted by pandemic sanitary cues, and (4) greater hedonic responses are given for sweet and high-calorie foods compared to salty and low-calorie ones, irrespective of pandemic priming. Finally, depression and anxiety symptoms were associated with lower smell evaluations only in the Pandemic condition.

IMPACT OF COVID-19 QUARANTINE ON LIFE STYLE CHANGES, IN THE WESTERN SAUDI ARABIA: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Since the World Health Organization announced the Corona Pandemic in March 2020, the world has faced many challenges and fundamental lifestyle changes. This study aims to identify lifestyle changes such as diet, marketing habits, daily activities, and sleep patterns in the western region of Saudi Arabia (SA) during the COVID-19 quarantine period. Besides, this work aims to investigate the relationship between lifestyle changes and weight changes. A retrospective crosssectional study conducted in the western region, SA during the COVID-19 quarantine between May 2020 and January 2021. The descriptive research approach was adopted using a questionnaire. Subjects who met the admission requirements and completed the questionnaire was 539. The majority of participants' ages 35-44 years, they were mainly women (73.3%). The percentage of those who work from home (online) was 31.2%. Most respondents rely on home-cooked food during the quarantine period (84 %), and the proportion of people eating out at restaurants is declining. About half of the participants reported emotional eating (54 %), and the majority preferred sweets. 42.4% of participants did not store additional food or worry about food insecurity. 44 % of participants revealed weight gain. There were strong correlation between increased weight in the study participants and emotional eating (p < 0.001), physical exercise (p < 0.001), and the number of fastfood consumed per week (p< 0.05). This work showed that weight gain in people during the lockout period could be attributed to the reduction in exercise and physical activity and the increased in emotional eating.

Objective evaluation of the first post-lockdown on physical activity, sedentary behavior and food choice in a sample of French young adult students.

From mid-March through early May 2020, France limited outdoor activities to one hour per day because of the Covid-19 epidemic. This inside lockdown could have a lasting impact on post-lockdown sedentary and physical activities and food choice. The aim of this study is to compare behaviors before and after the lockdown in a sample of French young adult students (sex ratio = 1:1, 22 ± 3 y old). Over a period of 4 days in both April and after mid-May 2020, 50 students used the WellBeNet smartphone application to record accelerometry data to evaluate their sedentary behavior and physical activity, and food consumption. Some behaviors remained stable for both periods: sedentary behavior, light-intensity activity, the number of meals per day, the number of portions of fruits, nuts, dairy products, vegetables, legumes and meat-fish-egg. Moderate-intensity activity duration was higher (+1.4%, p < 0.0001), whereas the food balance score was lower (-0.3, p = 0.06) during the return to free-living conditions. Different food behaviors in male and female students were observed between the two periods. The total daily number of food portions and of whole starchy products post lockdown was lower in female students (-1.07 and -0.47 portion/d, p = 0.07 and 0.04) but remained stable in male students, post-lockdown. The consumption of snacks was similar in men and women during the lockdown, whereas it was higher in men post-lockdown (+0.8 portion/d, p = 0.01). During the COVID-19 lockdown, food consumption choice was better overall and the moderate-intensity physical activity level was lower compared with the free-living subsequent period.

Behavioral and Emotional Changes One Year after the First Lockdown Induced by COVID-19 in a French Adult Population.

(1) Background: The lockdown had various consequences on physical activity and food consumption behaviors. The post-lockdown has been much less studied. The aim of this study is to compare behaviors one year after the first lockdown in a group of normal-weight (NW) or overweight French adults (OW). (2) Methods: Over a period of 4 days, both at the beginning of May 2020 (lockdown) and in June 2021 (free living post-lockdown), the same French adults used the WellBeNet smartphone application to record their sedentary behavior, physical activity (PA), food consumption and emotions. (3) Results: One year post first lockdown, the weight and body mass index increased (+1.1 kg; +0.4 kg.m-2, p < 0.01), and sedentary behaviors increased (+5.5%, p < 0.01) to the detriment of light-intensity activities (-3.3%, p = 0.10) in the whole group. Some food categories, such as alcohol, tended to be consumed more (+0.15 portion/day, p = 0.09), while fatty, salty and sugary products decreased (-0.25 portion/d, p = 0.02) but without a change in the food balance score. A higher number of both positive and negative emotions were scored per day (+9.5, p < 0.0001; +2.9, p = 0.03), and the positive ones were perceived stronger (+0.23, p = 0.09). Simultaneously, the desire to eat was lower (-11.6/100, p < 0.0001), and the desire to move remained constant. Sedentary/active behaviors and the desire to eat changed differently in NW and OW adults after the lockdown. (4) Conclusions: In general, the post-lockdown period was less favorable for physical activity practice and resulted in a similar food balance score but was more conducive to mental wellbeing.

The relationship of fast food consumption with sociodemographic factors, body mass index and dietary habits among university students

Purpose University students are one of the vulnerable groups in terms of having nutritional problems due to their lifestyle and social environment. This study aims to determine the consumption of fast food among university students and evaluate factors that may impact it, such as sociodemographic factors, body mass index (BMI) or nutritional habits. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional study was conducted among a random sample of 184 university students (47.8% men and 52.2% women) with a mean age of 21.1 +/- 2.0 years. The survey included students' sociodemographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, nutritional habits and fast-food consumption. Chi-square test, t-test and binary logistic regression analysis were used depending on the characteristics of the data. Findings Results indicated that 39.7% of the students consumed fast food at least once in 15 days and preferred these foods for taste, workload and social activity. Consumption of fast food occurred at an earlier age in men (%13.6) and the portions were higher than portions of vegetables (p = 0.001). By using regression analysis, a statistically significant relationship was found between the frequency of fast-food consumption and age, gender, economic status, BMI, the amount of vegetables consumed daily and the habit of eating breakfast (p < 0.05). Research limitations/implications It is planned to reach more students in the study. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, transportation to students became difficult or could not be reached. Originality/value This study is one of the rare studies examining students' orientation to fast food. The number of studies in this field in Turkey is limited.

Short- and Mid-Term Impacts of COVID-19 Outbreak on the Nutritional Quality and Environmental Impact of Diet.

Background: Changes in dietary behaviors that occurred at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak and in particular during the first national lockdowns have been extensively studied across countries. Beyond the understanding of contextual changes in diets due to a temporary lockdown, it is of interest to study longer-term consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak as sustained changes in diets may have both an impact on population health and the environment. Objectives: This study aimed to examine both short- (after 1 month) and mid-term (after 1 year) impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak on the nutritional quality and environmental impact of diets, and as a secondary objective on food choice motives. Methods: We collected dietary data [food frequency questionnaire (FFQ)] and the importance of nine food choice motives through online questionnaires before, during, and after 1 year of the first lockdown for 524 French participants. Adherence to the French dietary recommendations was estimated using the simplified PNNS-GS2, which scores from -17 to 11.5. Environmental impact of diets was assessed by calculating greenhouse gas emissions in CO2eq/2,000 kcal. Results: We showed a short-term decrease in nutritional quality (-0.26 points on sPNNS-GS2, p = 0.017) and environmental impact (-0.17 kg CO2eq/2,000 kcal, p = 0.004) but this decrease was only temporary, and nutritional quality (-0.01 points on sPNNS-GS2, p = 0.974) and environmental impact (-0.04 kg CO2eq/2,000 kcal, p = 0.472) were not different from their initial values 1 year later. Some of the food choice motives followed the trend of a short-term increase and a mid-term stability (health, natural content, ethical concern, and weight control). On the contrary, we showed both short- and mid-term decreases in convenience, familiarity, and price motives. Conclusion: Changes in diets and motives observed during the first lockdown were mostly temporary. However, we highlighted a sustained decrease in the importance of perceived constraints due to food shopping and food preparation which may suggest a trend toward a more positive perception of food-related activities.

Consumer adoption of online-to-offline food delivery services in China and New Zealand

Purpose>This study explores impacts of innovation-adoption characteristics, food choice motives, segmentation and socio-demographics on consumer adoption of online-to-offline food delivery services (O2O-FDS) in a Western developed country – New Zealand – and an Asian developing country – China.Design/methodology/approach>An online survey of 1,185 consumers provides data that the authors analyse using factor analyses, structural equation modelling and cluster analysis.Findings>The following innovation-adoption characteristics and food choice motives have statistically significant effects on consumers' attitudes and/or purchase intentions towards O2O-FDS in the pooled sample and/or the samples of two countries: perceived incentive, perceived complexity, processed convenience, cheapness, taste appeal, safety-assured and purchase convenience. Three consumer segments are recognized: conservatives (26.6%), food-value seekers (40.8%) and pioneers (32.6%). Significant differences are found in marital status, age, household income, education level, household size, occupation, country and residential areas across the three segments.Originality/value>This is the first study to systematically understand significant influencing factors for the O2O-FDS adoption by using a sample set composed of both Eastern and Western consumers.

Food Choice Motives and COVID-19 in Belgium.

To investigate the main motives driving dietary intake changes potentially introduced by preventive measures to address the pandemic, an online survey, using a 36-item Food Choice Questionnaire applied for the period before (the year 2019) and during (2020-2021) the pandemic, was distributed between July and October 2021 among adult residents from Belgium. A total of 427 eligible respondents, the majority Dutch-speaking, were included for analyses. The importance of nine motives for food choices, including health, mood, convenience, sensory appeal, natural content, price, weight control, familiarity and ethical concerns, was assessed by scoring from 1 to 5, and comparing mean scores from the during period with the before period. Sensory appeal was the most important food choice motive before (mean score of 4.02 ± 0.51) and during (3.98 ± 0.48) the pandemic. Convenience and health also ranked among the main motives, with health observed to become more important during the pandemic (3.69 ± 0.60 during vs. 3.64 ± 0.59 before). Additionally, mean scores of mood (3.41 ± 0.71 vs. 3.32 ± 0.58), natural content (3.35 ± 0.84 vs. 3.26 ± 0.85) and weight control (3.33 ± 0.79 vs. 3.25 ± 0.76) were significantly higher during as compared to before. The extent of change in the level of importance for natural content was smaller with increasing age, and for health larger for urban areas, but for other motives there were no significant differences across population subgroups. Changes in the level of importance were observed in both directions, while a moderate share of respondents declared no change, suggesting some persistence of food choice motives. Further activities within public health monitoring should be considered to fully understand the COVID-19 implications on food choice motives together with people's food behaviors and consumption.