COVID-19 affected the food behavior of different age groups in Chinese households

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic brought profound changes to all corners of society and affected people in every aspect of their lives. This survey-based study investigated how household food related matters such as food sourcing and consumption behaviors of 2,126 Chinese consumers in different age groups changed approximately two months into the COVID-19 quarantine. A new food sourcing mechanism, community-based online group grocery-ordering (CoGGO), was widely adopted by households, particularly among the youngest group studied (18–24 years of age). The same group showed a higher confidence in the food supply system during the quarantine and a greater propensity for weight gain while staying-at-home. The more mature age group (≥35 years of age) showed heightened vigilance and awareness, with fewer grocery-shopping trips, a higher tendency for purchasing extra food, and less tendency to waste food. Survey findings of the new food-sourcing mechanism, attitudes to food, and changes in behavior among different age groups provide valuable insights to guide policies and management interventions to address matters pertaining to food supply and distribution, food access and household food security, and food waste reduction.

A review of the effects of COVID-19 on food waste

“…In the studies, different associations were drawn between demographic variables (e.g., gender, age, provenance, income, number of household members, education) and food waste production, showing that these variables define the basic circumstances that drive consumer choice. In particular, gender and age (Berjan et al, 2021 ; Brizi & Biraglia, 2021 ; Burlea-Schiopoui et al, 2021 ; Chen et al, 2021 ; Cosgrove et al, 2021 ; Principato et al, 2020 ; Qian et al, 2020 ; Vidal-Mones et al, 2021 ), level of education (Jribi et al, 2020 ), income and relative change in income (Heikal Ismail et al, 2020 ; Jribi et al, 2020 ; Rodgers et al, 2021 ; Vargas-Lopez et al, 2021 ), employment (Scacchi et al, 2021 ; Scharadin et al, 2021 ), and number of household members (Everitt et al, 2021 ; Pappalardo et al, 2020 ; Qian et al, 2020 ; Vidal-Mones et al, 2021 ) were the most debated factors, and shown to be significantly associated with food waste during the pandemic (Amicarelli et al, 2021 ; Muresan et al, 2022 ). Most studies highlighted the lower volume of food waste generated by women, older people, and people with low income.…”

“…Cosgrove et al ( 2021 ), while confirming these results, suggested that food waste produced by younger generations may relate to fewer responsibilities in food preparation and procurement, relative to older generations, who may have also experienced greater economic challenges during the pandemic. Chen et al ( 2021 ) and Berjan et al ( 2021 ) highlighted the greater responsibility of older people regarding food waste. In parallel, Chen et al ( 2021 ) noted a sharp increase in online food purchases, fewer trips to the grocery store, and the purchase of extra food to compensate for fewer trips; while Berjan et al ( 2021 ) reported better food practices, such as meal planning and the purchase of lesser quantities of food.…”

“…Chen et al ( 2021 ) and Berjan et al ( 2021 ) highlighted the greater responsibility of older people regarding food waste. In parallel, Chen et al ( 2021 ) noted a sharp increase in online food purchases, fewer trips to the grocery store, and the purchase of extra food to compensate for fewer trips; while Berjan et al ( 2021 ) reported better food practices, such as meal planning and the purchase of lesser quantities of food. These findings align with those of Jribi et al ( 2020 ), who endorsed the positive influence of COVID-19 on consumer behaviour towards food waste.…”

“…Such practices included reusing leftovers, organising food according to expiration date, and using shopping lists (Ben Hassen et al, 2021 ; Bogevska et al, 2021 ; Kubíčková et al, 2021 ; Pires et al, 2021 ; Qian et al, 2020 ). In addition, decreased shopping frequency was commonly observed, in connection with both governmental restrictions and health concerns (Chen et al, 2021 ; Vidal-Mones et al, 2021 ). This was matched by a greater quantity of food purchased on each trip (Ben Hassen et al, 2021 ; Bogevska et al, 2021 ; Chen et al, 2021 ).…”

“…These changes in consumer behaviour resulted in significant growth in the grocery retail sector, which could not always meet consumer demand (Aday & Aday, 2020 ). Furthermore, the pandemic also resulted in greater food delivery (Chen et al, 2021 ; Filimonau, 2020 ; Li et al, 2020 ), which increased the generation of plastic waste through packaging (Liu et al, 2021 ). This growth in food delivery and online meal ordering underlined the need to rethink traditional modes of production, processing, and distribution, to achieve more sustainable packaging based on principles of circularity (Kochanska et al, 2021 ).…”