Food choice motives and the nutritional quality of diet during the COVID-19 lockdown in France

This 2021 study examined whether food choice motives changed following the national lockdown imposed in France between March 17th and May 10th in 2020. The 938 French adult participants completed online questionnaires asking about their food choice motives and food consumption during the month before and in the first month of the lockdown. The study focused on the following nine food choice motives: health; convenience; sensory appeal; natural content; ethical concern; weight control; mood; familiarity; and price. While food intake was measured through a food frequency questionnaire including 110 foods, 12 non-alcoholic beverages and 4 alcoholic beverages. The results showed that the nutritional value of diets dropped during the lockdown compared to before. A significant change in food choice motives was also observed. Other findings included associations between importance of weight control with nutritional quality, and between increased importance of mood with decreased nutritional quality. The lockdown was thus linked with the alterations in food choice motives, especially with regards to mood as a food choice motive (reported by 48% of the respondents). In addition, there was a rise in consideration for ethical concerns, health, and natural contents in connection with the food, suggesting a growing awareness of how crucial sustainable foods are for some French participants. [NPIDs: COVID, coronavirus, pandemic, immunity, the immune system, COVID-19, France, food convenience, sensory appeal, price]

Year: 2021

Reference: Marty, L., de Lauzon-Guillain, B., Labesse, M., & Nicklaus, S. (2021). Food choice motives and the nutritional quality of diet during the COVID-19 lockdown in France. Appetite, 157, 105005. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2020.105005

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