Learning Outcome
Upon completion, participants will be able to understand changes in food consumption during COVID-19 pandemic.
This study aims to examine how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the dietary habits of adults in the United States of America. The study design was cross-sectional. A dietary screening tool (DST) was used to survey 10,035 individuals aged 40-100 by Qualtrics. The food groups included the MyPlate items, fat, and sweet and snacks. SPSS Software was used to analyze the data. Pre and post pandemic responses were compared using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and McNamar tests. The study was 57.4% female and 42.6% male. Consumption in fruits (P< .001), whole grains (P< .001), dairy (P=.001), protein (P< .001), fat (P< .001), sweets and snacks (P< .001), and vegetables (P= .031) significantly reduced since COVID-19 pandemic. Among studied food groups, grain consumption by adults had the biggest reduction while vegetable consumption had the smallest reduction. The reason vegetable consumption had the smallest change might be due in part from government assistance programs or hopes of improving immunity. Overall, the decrease in food consumption might be cause for concern. The reduction may be the result of decreased income, changes in job security, fear of catching the virus in grocery stores, or disruptions in the supply chain. More research must be done to determine the cause of the reduction in food consumption.
Funding source
USDA/NIFA
Article info
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 Published by Elsevier Inc.
