How did Covid-19 impact US household foods? an analysis six months in

PLoS One. 2021 Sep 15;16(9):e0256921. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256921. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Using a nationwide survey of primary grocery shoppers conducted in August 2020, we examine household food spending when the economy had partially reopened and consumers had different spending opportunities in comparison to when the Covid-19 lockdown began. We estimate the impact of Covid-19 on household spending using interval and Order Probit regressions. Income levels, age, access to grocery stores and farmers markets, household demographic information, along with other independent variables are controlled in the model. Findings show that middle-class households (with income below $50,000, or with income between $50,000 and $99,999) are less likely to increase their grocery expenditures during the pandemic. Households with children or elderlies that usually require higher food quality and nutrition intakes had a higher probability of increasing their spending during Covid-19 than before. Furthermore, consumers' spending behaviors were also significantly affected by their safe handing levels and the Covid-19 severity and food accessibility in their residences.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • COVID-19 / epidemiology
  • COVID-19 / prevention & control*
  • COVID-19 / virology
  • Child
  • Communicable Disease Control / economics*
  • Consumer Behavior / statistics & numerical data
  • Costs and Cost Analysis
  • Epidemics / prevention & control
  • Family Characteristics*
  • Food / statistics & numerical data*
  • Housing / standards
  • Housing / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Income / statistics & numerical data
  • SARS-CoV-2 / physiology
  • Surveys and Questionnaires / statistics & numerical data*
  • Time Factors
  • United States

Grants and funding

This work is funded by USDA-National Institute of Food & Agriculture, project #2019-68008- 29828 and USDA-National Institute of Food & Agriculture, project #2018-70001-28938. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. There was not additional external funding received for this study.