Nutrition Research and Practice

The Korean Nutrition Society (한국영양학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

COVID-19 and changes in Korean consumers' dietary attitudes and behaviors

  • Rha, Jong-Youn (Department of Consumer Science, Seoul National University) ;
  • Lee, Bohan (Research Institute of Human Ecology, Seoul National University) ;
  • Nam, Youngwon (Department of Consumer Science, Seoul National University) ;
  • Yoon, Jihyun (Department of Food and Nutrition, Seoul National University)
  • Received : 2021.04.01
  • Accepted : 2021.07.28
  • Published : 2021.12.01
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has dramatically changed nearly every aspect of our lives. Although Dietary lifestyle includes attitudes and behaviors to meet their most basic needs, but few studies have examined the pattern of changes in dietary lifestyle driven by COVID-19. This study explores changes in dietary attitudes and behaviors among Korean consumers after COVID-19. SUBJECTS/METHODS: An online survey was conducted with 549 Korean adults aged 20 and older to identify general demographics and changes in dietary attitudes and behaviors. Data were collected from Oct 12 to Oct 18, 2020. Frequency, percentage, and mean values were calculated and a K-means cluster analysis was performed to categorize consumers based on the 5S of dietary attitudes (i.e., savor-oriented, safety-oriented, sustainability-oriented, saving-oriented, and socializing-oriented). RESULTS: Findings indicate consumers considered safety, health, and freshness to be most important when choosing groceries and prepared meal such as home meal replacement and delivery food. Among the types of services, a large proportion of consumers increased their delivery and take-out services. Regarding retail channels, the increase in the use of online retailers was remarkable compared to offline retailers. Finally, consumers were classified into four segments based on changes in dietary attitudes: "most influenced," "seeking safety and sustainability," "abstaining from savor and socializing," and "least influenced." Each type of consumer exhibited statistically significant differences by sex, age, household composition, presence of disease, and perceived risk of COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: This exploratory study provides initial insights for future research by identifying various aspects of dietary attitudes and behaviors among Korean consumers after COVID-19.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This work was carried out with the support of "Cooperative Research Program for Agriculture Science and Technology Development (Project No. PJ015292012021)" Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea.

References

  1. Jose R, Narendran M, Bindu A, Beevi N, L M, Benny PV. Public perception and preparedness for the pandemic COVID 19: a health belief model approach. Clin Epidemiol Glob Health 2021;9:41-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cegh.2020.06.009
  2. Wolf LJ, Haddock G, Manstead ASR, Maio GR. The importance of (shared) human values for containing the COVID-19 pandemic. Br J Soc Psychol 2020;59:618-27. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12401
  3. Altig D, Baker S, Barrero JM, Bloom N, Bunn P, Chen S, Davis SJ, Leather J, Meyer B, Mihaylov E, et al. Economic uncertainty before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Public Econ 2020;191:104274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2020.104274
  4. Dzielinski M. Measuring economic uncertainty and its impact on the stock market. Finance Res Lett 2012;9:167-75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.frl.2011.10.003
  5. Keister LA, Benton R, Moody J. Lifestyles through expenditures: a case-based approach to saving. Sociol Sci 2016;3:650-84. https://doi.org/10.15195/v3.a28
  6. Byrne S, Hopkins A, McIndoe-Calder T, Sherman M. The Impact of COVID-19 on Consumer Spending. Dublin: Central Bank of Ireland; 2020.
  7. Coibion O, Gorodnichenko Y, Weber M. The Cost of the COVID-19 Crisis: Lockdowns, Macroeconomic Expectations, and Consumer Spending. Cambridge (MA): National Bureau of Economic Research; 2020.
  8. Chetty R, Friedman JN, Hendren N, Stepner M; The Opportunity Insights Team. How did COVID-19 and Stabilization Policies Affect Spending and Employment? a New Real-Time Economic Tracker Based on Private Sector Data. Cambridge (MA): National Bureau of Economic Research; 2020.
  9. Hall MC, Prayag G, Fieger P, Dyason D. Beyond panic buying: consumption displacement and COVID-19. J Serv Manag 2020;32:113-28. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-05-2020-0151
  10. Dunn A, Hood K, Driessen A. Measuring the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Consumer Spending Using Card Transaction Data. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis; 2020.
  11. Mitchell T, O'Donnell G, Taves R, Weselake-George Z, Xu A. Consumer Expenditures during COVID-19: an Exploratory Analysis of the Effects of Changing Consumption Patterns on Consumer Price Indexes. Ontario: Statistics Canada; 2020.
  12. Dalgleish R. How the COVID-19 Pandemic has Accelerated the Shift to Online Spending. Newport: Office for National Statistics; 2020.
  13. Barua A, Levin D. What's Weighing on Consumer Spending: Fear of COVID-19 and Its Economic Impact. London: Deloitte; 2020.
  14. Baker SR, Farrokhnia RA, Meyer S, Pagel M, Yannelis C. How does household spending respond to an epidemic? Consumption during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Rev Asset Pricing Stud 2020;10:834-62. https://doi.org/10.1093/rapstu/raaa009
  15. Janssen M, Chang BP, Hristov H, Pravst I, Profeta A, Millard J. Changes in food consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic: analysis of consumer survey data from the first lockdown period in Denmark, Germany, and Slovenia. Front Nutr 2021;8:635859. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2021.635859
  16. Chenarides L, Grebitus C, Lusk JL, Printezis I. Food consumption behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. Agribusiness (N Y N Y) 2020;37:44-81.
  17. Chronopoulos DK, Lukas M, Wilson JOS. Consumer spending responses to the COVID-19 pandemic: an assessment of Great Britain. In: COVID Economics. Washington, D.C.: Center for Economic Policy Research; 2020. p.145-80.
  18. Langeland S. COVID-19 lockdowns are central planning. J Statesmanship Public Policy 2021;2:3-23.
  19. Unnikrishnan A, Figliozzi M. A study of the impact of COVID-19 on home delivery purchases and expenditures [Internet]. Portland: Portland State University Library; 2020 [cited 2021 March 28]. Available from: https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/33410.
  20. Andersen AL, Hansen ET, Johannesen N, Sheridan A. Pandemic, shutdown and consumer spending: lessons from Scandinavian policy responses to COVID-19. arXiv. Forthcoming 2020.
  21. Wallheimer B. How South Korea Limited COVID-19 Deaths and Economic Damage. Chicago (IL): Chicago Booth Review; 2020.
  22. Chen MF, editor. Food-related lifestyle and trust-in-food-safety typology in Taiwan. Proceedings of the International Conference on Pacific Rim Management 19th Annual Meeting; 2009 Jul 30-Aug 1 San Francisco (CA), USA.
  23. Min KM, Kim HS. The effect of the dietary life style of female consumers on HMR purchase behavior: HMR involvement as moderating variable. Foodserv Ind J 2017;13:65-82. https://doi.org/10.22509/kfsa.2017.13.4.004
  24. Dziadkowiec J, Rood AS. Casual-dining restaurant preferences: a cross-cultural comparison. J Foodserv Bus Res 2015;18:73-91. https://doi.org/10.1080/15378020.2015.995755
  25. Rha JY, Lee B, Chun Y, Han S, Ko J. Factors influencing consumer choice for home meal replacement using local food: focused on alphabet theory. J East Asian Soc Diet Life 2020;30:492-42.
  26. Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation. 2019 Processed Food Segmentation Market Status. Naju: Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation; 2019.
  27. Yoon J. Future of Honbap (Solo Dining). Food and Health Division Forum of Korean Medical Association. Seoul: Korean Medical Association; 2018.
  28. Sierra-Johnson J, Unden AL, Linestrand M, Rosell M, Sjogren P, Kolak M, De Faire U, Fisher RM, Hellenius ML. Eating meals irregularly: a novel environmental risk factor for the metabolic syndrome. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2008;16:1302-7. https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2008.203
  29. Paoli A, Tinsley G, Bianco A, Moro T. The influence of meal frequency and timing on health in humans: the role of fasting. Nutrients 2019;11:719. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11040719
  30. Hassen TB, Bilali HE, Allahyari MS. Impact of COVID-19 on food behavior and consumption in Qatar. Sustainability 2020;12:1-18. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12010001
  31. Maddock J. The relationship between obesity and the prevalence of fast food restaurants: state-level analysis. Am J Health Promot 2004;19:137-43. https://doi.org/10.4278/0890-1171-19.2.137
  32. Currie J, DellaVigna S, Moretti E, Pathania V. The effect of fast food restaurants on obesity and weight gain. Am Econ J Econ Policy 2010;2:32-63. https://doi.org/10.1257/pol.2.3.32
  33. Davis B, Carpenter C. Proximity of fast-food restaurants to schools and adolescent obesity. Am J Public Health 2009;99:505-10. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2008.137638
  34. Braithwaite I, Stewart AW, Hancox RJ, Beasley R, Murphy R, Mitchell EAISAAC Phase Three Study GroupISAAC Phase Three Study Group. Fast-food consumption and body mass index in children and adolescents: an international cross-sectional study. BMJ Open 2014;4:e005813. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2014-005813
  35. Jacob L, Stubbs B, Firth J, Smith L, Haro JM, Koyanagi A. Fast food consumption and suicide attempts among adolescents aged 12-15 years from 32 countries. J Affect Disord 2020;266:63-70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.01.130
  36. Goddard E. The impact of COVID-19 on food retail and food service in Canada: Preliminary assessment. Can J Agric Econ 2020;68:157-61. https://doi.org/10.1111/cjag.12243
  37. Grashuis J, Skevas T, Segovia MS. Grocery shopping preferences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sustainability 2020;12:5369. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12135369
  38. Rosenstock I. Historical origins of the health belief model. Health Educ Monogr 1974;2:328-35. https://doi.org/10.1177/109019817400200403