Food consumption changes during 2020 lockdown in Italy.

The lockdown imposed to limit the diffusion of COVID-19 in Italy affected the economic situation negatively. The income of many households decreased, and people were forced to stay home. Both these factors influenced food consumption: on the one hand less income means less money for purchases, on the other, the negative psychological impact of lesser income and the pandemic shifted the consumption towards alcohol and tobacco. Using survey data, this paper shows how the negative economic shock due to lockdown, together with the restrictions imposed by it, affected the consumption of food items in a region of Norther Italy.

Household mobility in food purchasing during COVID-19 lockdown: Evidence from Torino, Italy.

During the first wave of COVID-19, lockdown restrictions limited people's movements mainly to food purchasing. Using survey data collected in Torino, Italy, from university students, this study analyses the lockdown's impact on the transportation means used for purchasing food compared to the pre-lockdown period. Food store businesses were not limited by the restrictions and people had to purchase food; however, national and local rules limited citizens' movements, potentially leading to a different choices of transportation means than before the pandemic. The results show that both the lockdown and, perhaps, the fear of contagion, moved the preferences of people from public and shared means to foot and private vehicles. These findings can help in rethinking how transportation is organised in an urban environment, such as that in Torino. Ensuring the safety of public and shared transportation may help sustain mobility during health emergencies.

Food and Nutrition Related Concerns Post Lockdown during COVID-19 Pandemic and Their Association with Dietary Behaviors.

This study aimed to explore food and nutrition related concerns during the post-lockdown period and their impacts on food shopping, preparation, and eating behaviors. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was conducted through online questionnaire. We collected data on food and nutrition related concerns, socio-demographic characteristics, and changes in dietary behaviors. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 2267 responses were received from people living in 31 provinces across mainland China and 1994 participants were included in the final analysis. ANALYSIS: Linear and multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association among food and nutrition related concerns, socio-demographic factors, and dietary behaviors Results: About 56% of participants reported moderate to high levels of concerns related to food and nutrition. Contracting the virus when dining out or through contaminated foods were the top two concerns, followed by overnutrition. Higher levels of concerns were found among people who were older, overweight, or obese, having lower income and education, and living in urban areas, or whose family contained vulnerable individuals. Compared with the pre-COVID-19 period, people who were more concerned about food and nutrition were more likely to report changes in their food purchases and consumption; they were also more likely to eat from individual plates, using serving chopsticks, and separating plates and utensils for raw and cooked foods during the post COVID-19 lockdown period. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATION: Food and nutrition related concerns during the post-lockdown period were prevalent and associated with changes in dietary behaviors. Preventative policies and nutritional guidance should be developed to address these concerns in order to reduce inappropriate dietary behaviors amid public health crises.

Food purchase and eating behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional survey of Russian adults.

The Russian government took strong containment measures to prevent the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) with rigid hygiene protocols and restrictions on daily living, such as social distancing and closing businesses and schools. While these measures were crucial to stop the diffusion of SARS-CoV-2, numerous voices highlighted their disorderly psychological, social, and economic impacts on food consumption behavior and lifestyle. Therefore, this paper aims to understand how consumers' food-related habits in Russia have shifted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and potential problems and opportunities this might bring for the Russian food system. The study is based on an online cross-sectional survey using a structured questionnaire administered in Russian through the Survey Monkey platform. A total of 1297 valid answers was collected. The results reveal that diet and food shopping, preparation, and use have been widely affected. Indeed, the survey results suggested (i) a change in the modality of acquiring food, consumers reduced the number of shopping trips and buying more on each trip to minimize store visits; (ii) a surge of stockpiling of non-perishable food items; (iii) a shift toward healthier diets; (iv) an increase in culinary capabilities; (v) a decrease of food waste. The results are expected to inform current emergency plans as well as long-term food-related strategies in Russia.

Eating behavior and food purchases during the COVID-19 lockdown: A cross-sectional study among adults in the Netherlands.

On March 15, 2020, the Dutch Government implemented COVID-19 lockdown measures. Although self-quarantine and social-distancing measures were implemented, restrictions were less severe compared to several other countries. The aim of this study was to assess changes in eating behavior and food purchases among a representative adult sample in the Netherlands (n = 1030), five weeks into lockdown. The results show that most participants did not change their eating behaviors (83.0%) or food purchases (73.3%). However, socio-demographic differences were observed among those that reported changes during lockdown. For example, participants with overweight (OR = 2.26, 95%CI = 1.24-4.11) and obesity (OR = 4.21, 95%CI = 2.13-8.32) were more likely to indicate to eat unhealthier during lockdown compared to participants with a healthy weight. Those with a high educational level (OR = 2.25, 95%-CI = 1.03-4.93) were also more likely to indicate to eat unhealthier during lockdown compared to those with a low educational level. Older participants were more likely to indicate to experience no differences in their eating behaviors compared to those of younger age, who were more likely to indicate that they ate healthier (OR = 1.03, 95%CI = 1.01-1.04) as well as unhealthier (OR = 1.04, 95%CI = 1.02-1.06) during lockdown. Participants with obesity were more likely to indicate to purchase more chips/snacks (OR = 2.79, 95%CI = 1.43-5.45) and more nonalcoholic beverages (OR = 2.74, 95%CI = 1.36-5.50) during lockdown in comparison with those with a healthy weight. Of those that used meal delivery services before, 174 (29.5%) indicated to use meal delivery services more frequently during lockdown. Although the results confirm the persistence of dietary routines, profound socio-demographic differences were observed for those that did report changes. Especially for individuals with overweight and obesity, the lockdown has taken its toll on healthy dietary choices. Further research should unravel underlying mechanisms for these observations.

Impact of Fear of Contracting COVID-19 and Complying with the Rules of Isolation on Nutritional Behaviors of Polish Adults.

The aim of the study was to examine whether, and to what extent, fear of contracting Covid-19 and compliance with the mandatory rules of isolation affected Polish adults' nutritional behaviors. The online study was carried out during the first wave of the pandemic on a sample of 926 adults. Through cluster analysis, three groups of respondents were isolated: 1. People who fear a Covid-19 infection and follow the isolation rules (FFR), 2. People moderately afraid of the disease and following the rules loosely (MFFR), 3. People who are not afraid of the infection and do not follow the rules of isolation. (NFFR). The clusters were profiled with consideration of different aspects of eating behaviors as well as socio-demographic and economic features. The results of the study show a close relationship between the level of fear of contracting Covid-19 and the degree to which isolation rules are followed. These two factors were found to have a significant impact on eating behaviors, such as food purchases, eating patterns, and levels of consumption. It was stated that the FFR group changed their eating behaviors the most in terms of food purchasing, eating habits (excluding diversity and quality of diet), and food product consumption. The greatest stability in the majority of the analyzed areas of nutritional behaviors was observed in the MFFR cluster. The NFFR group shown the greatest decrease both in regularity and quality of their meals. This group also exhibited a significant increase in the consumption of alcoholic beverages. The results of the study can be useful in the decision making process when introducing restrictions or managing information. They also point to the need for extensive nutritional education focused on explaining the relationship between nutrition and health during a pandemic.