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By employing the theory of consumption values, this study examines how customers perceived the values of food delivery applications (FDAs), which affected their satisfaction, purchase intention and switching intention post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Target samples were local Hong Kong customers, with 519 valid responses obtained from a self-administered survey. Results show that customers perceived the importance of FDA values: price, affordance, quality and personal data protection. These factors positively improved customer satisfaction and enhanced purchase intention through FDA services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Supermarket interventions are promising to promote healthier dietary patterns, but not all individuals may be equally susceptible. We explored whether the effectiveness of nudging and pricing strategies on diet quality differs by psychological and grocery shopping characteristics. Methods: We used data of the 12-month Supreme Nudge parallel cluster-randomised controlled supermarket trial, testing nudging and pricing strategies to promote healthier diets. Participants were Dutch speaking adults aged 30–80 years and regular shoppers of participating supermarkets (n = 12) in socially disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Data on psychological characteristics (food-related behaviours; price sensitivity; food decision styles; social cognitive factors; self-control) and grocery shopping characteristics (time spent in the supermarket; moment of the day; average supermarket visits; shopping at other retailers; supermarket proximity) were self-reported at baseline. These characteristics were tested for their moderating effects of the intervention on diet quality (scored 0–150) in linear mixed models. Results: We included 162 participants from intervention supermarkets and 199 from control supermarkets (73% female, 58 (± 10.8) years old, 42% highly educated). The interventions had no overall effect on diet quality. Only five out of 23 potential moderators were statistically significant. Yet, stratified analyses of these significant moderators showed no significant effects on diet quality for one of the subgroups and statistically non-significant negative effects for the other. Negative effects were suggested for individuals with lower baseline levels of meal planning (β − 2.6, 95% CI − 5.9; 0.8), healthy shopping convenience (β − 3.0, 95% CI − 7.2; 1.3), and healthy food attractiveness (β − 3.5, 95% CI − 8.3; 1.3), and with higher levels of price consciousness (β − 2.6, 95% CI − 6.2; 1.0) and weekly supermarket visits (β − 2.4, 95% CI − 6.8; 1.9). Conclusions: Adults with varying psychological and grocery shopping characteristics largely seem equally (un)susceptible to nudging and pricing strategies. It might be that certain characteristics lead to adverse effects, but this is not plausible, and the observed negative effects were small and statistically non-significant and may be explained by chance findings. Verification of these findings is needed in real-world trials based on larger sample sizes and with the use of more comprehensive interventions. Trial registration: Dutch Trial Register ID NL7064, 30th of May, 2018, https://onderzoekmetmensen.nl/en/trial/20990 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an investigation of the factors influencing the decision to purchase processed food based on traffic-light labeling (TLL). To achieve this, we use data from the official National Survey of Health and Nutrition, which gathered information on 26,532 individuals aged between 19 and 59 between 2011 and 2013. Employing a probit regression to assess the likelihood of buying food based on TLL, we identify a positive association between income level and the probability of buying food based on TLL; indeed, our model suggests that a 1% increase in monthly income increases by 0.008 the probability of buying food based on TLL. We infer that people with higher levels of income are more aware of the benefits of TLL and healthy food habits. Our results also suggest that the probability of basing purchasing decisions on TLL is higher for overweight people compared to those of normal weight, that is, overweight people buy their processed food paying more attention to TLL compared to normal weight people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Labeling strategies are often discussed in the context of local food purchase. Substantial research has been undertaken to discern buyers' preferences for different labeling strategies associated with a production practice or a geographic location. Some studies have also emphasized the substitution or complementarity effects that may occur across these different labels. Using a large choice experiment with 1820 respondents across six US southern states, this research evaluates buyers' preferences for co-labeling strategies, focusing on the association of a production practice and certifications (USDA Organic and Certified Naturally Grown) alongside six different production locations, ranging from local to imported sources. We focus on pint baskets of cherry tomatoes, chosen due to their popularity among purchasers of fresh produce. Based on the results provided by a Bayesian Mixed Logit model, we derived the respondent-specific posterior distribution of the partworths associated with each production location and regressed each of those against demographic indicators. Our findings highlight that most buyers substitute between USDA Organic and Certified Naturally Grown (CNG), and a minority consistently opt for the same production practice option. In addition, we underscore that price, or an indication of origin predominantly guides nearly half of buyers' choices. We find that the premium for CNG is slightly superior to the organic one. Last, older respondents and respondents with a higher degree of education value produce grown within their state over neighboring states and more distant origins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic compelled many consumers to adapt their grocery shopping, food preferences, and consumption behaviors. Based on 18 in-depth interviews with adults in the United States, this study uses a liminality framework to explore how the pandemic altered these behaviors. It also seeks to assess whether individuals have reverted to pre-pandemic consumption behaviors. Results show the mode of grocery shopping shifted; the frequency of grocery shopping declined; and the quantity of food increased in the initial stages of the pandemic with more people remaining home. By summer 2022, more individuals had shifted to online grocery shopping from shopping in-person, a departure from their pre-pandemic behavior. Findings also indicate the frequency of shopping largely mirrors pre-pandemic levels, though the quantity of groceries purchased has declined. Finally, the decline in food purchases is accompanied by increased spending on groceries in all phases of the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Assessing the trends in dietary GHGE considering the social patterning is critical for understanding the role that food systems have played and will play in global emissions in countries of the global south. Our aim is to describe dietary greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) trends (overall and by food group) using data from household food purchase surveys from 1989 to 2020 in Mexico, overall and by education levels and urbanicity. Methods: We used cross-sectional data from 16 rounds of Mexico's National Income and Expenditure Survey, a nationally representative survey. The sample size ranged from 11,051 in 1989 to 88,398 in 2020. We estimated the mean total GHGE per adult-equivalent per day (kg CO2-eq/ad-eq/d) for every survey year. Then, we estimated the relative GHGE contribution by food group for each household. These same analyses were conducted stratifying by education and urbanicity. Results: The mean total GHGE increased from 3.70 (95%CI: 3.57, 3.82) to 4.90 (95% CI 4.62, 5.18) kg CO2-eq/ad-eq/d between 1989 and 2014 and stayed stable between 4.63 (95% CI: 4.53, 4.72) and 4.89 (95% CI: 4.81, 4.96) kg CO2-eq/ad-eq/d from 2016 onwards. In 1989, beef (19.89%, 95% CI: 19.18, 20.59), dairy (16.87%, 95% CI: 16.30, 17.42)), corn (9.61%, 95% CI: 9.00, 10.22), legumes (7.03%, 95% CI: 6.59, 7.46), and beverages (6.99%, 95% CI: 6.66, 7.32) had the highest relative contribution to food GHGE; by 2020, beef was the top contributor (17.68%, 95%CI: 17.46, 17.89) followed by fast food (14.17%, 95% CI: 13.90, 14.43), dairy (11.21%, 95%CI: 11.06, 11.36), beverages (10.09%, 95%CI: 9.94, 10.23), and chicken (10.04%, 95%CI: 9.90, 10.17). Households with higher education levels and those in more urbanized areas contributed more to dietary GHGE across the full period. However, households with lower education levels and those in rural areas had the highest increase in these emissions from 1989 to 2020. Conclusions: Our results provide insights into the food groups in which the 2023 Mexican Dietary Guidelines may require to focus on improving human and planetary health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives / purpose: After school programs represents a setting for promoting healthy dietary habits. The aim of this study was to evaluate how effective the after school program staff perceived nutrition training aiming to improve quality of food purchased and meal practices. We further aimed to assess the changes in purchase of primarily fish and fish products, whole grains and fruit and vegetables, by collecting receipts from food purchase before and after the intervention. Results: This is a mixed methods study. Group interviews with after school staff were carried out and the data was analyzed deductively according to the RE-AIM framework. Receipts from food purchase were collected. Findings from the qualitative interviews indicated that the intervention had been a positive experience for the staff and suggested a new way of working with promoting healthy foods in after school program units. Although there were some challenges reported, the staff made necessary adjustments to make the changes possible to sustain over time. Findings from the receipts support the changes reported by the staff. These showed increased purchase of vegetables, fish, and whole grain in all four after school program units. After school programs in similar settings may expand on these findings to improve the students' dietary habits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe online grocery industry’s swift expansion and intense competition underscore the urgency to tackle sustainable business and cost issues while adapting to consumer trends requires higher prices for continued profit. Utilizing complexity theory, the present study aims to explore the impact of proactive and collaborative strategies on customer-brand engagement and experience, ultimately fostering an increased willingness to pay a premium. Accordingly, the results (n = 406) show that proactive customer orientation and value co-creation significantly increase the customer experience and foster higher levels of customer-brand engagement, ultimately increasing willingness to pay more. Notably, the mediation analysis reveals that customer-brand engagement serves as a mediating factor in the relationship between customer experience and the willingness to pay more. This study contributes to the online grocery shopping literature by integrating proactive and collaborative strategies and investigates customer experience and engagement through the lens of complexity theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persons with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) are often impaired in their daily level of functioning due to their time-consuming obsessions and/or compulsions. To date, however, studies are lacking that quantify how much time persons with OCD actually spend on activities of daily living. Therefore, the current study assessed 13 daily life activities (in minutes) with a self-report questionnaire in 299 persons with OCD at admission to inpatient treatment and 300 age- and sex-matched persons without OCD. A majority of persons with OCD indicated that they experienced obsessions and/or compulsions when leaving (84%) and cleaning (70%) the apartment, grocery shopping (66%), changing clothes (66%), and showering with (62%) and without (63%) shampooing. Persons with OCD who experienced obsessions and/or compulsions during a given daily life activity—but not those who did not experience obsessions and/or compulsions during these activities—reported longer durations for performing 10 of the 13 activities than persons without OCD. For most activities, longer durations related weakly but significantly to higher OCD symptom severity. Results indicate that the duration of daily life activities seems to depend more on whether persons with OCD experience obsessions and/or compulsions during a specific activity and less on whether a person is diagnosed with OCD in general. Future studies may use other assessment methods that allow for tracking the duration in daily life in real time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The key objective of this research is to gain a deeper understanding of the factors associated with pain of paying and to extend knowledge of the consequences. • Using survey data collected among a large group of Dutch consumers, we find that electronic payments hurt less than cash payments. • This holds especially for contactless payments and iDEAL payments, a frequently used online payment method in the Netherlands. • On average, cash is perceived to be most helpful in preventing overspending, whereas contactless payments are the least helpful. • It is important that policymakers develop tools that help consumers in averting overspending when utilizing electronic payment methods, particularly contactless ones. The key objective of this research is to gain a deeper understanding of the factors associated with pain of paying and to extend knowledge of the consequences. Using rich consumer survey data on the Netherlands, we find that electronic payments – both online and offline – hurt less than cash payments. This holds especially for contactless payments and iDEAL payments, a frequently used online payment method in the Netherlands, and for older people in particular but not for teenagers. Furthermore, the perceived pain of paying is positively related to the price of the product or service and slightly lower for an outing compared to grocery shopping. In addition, the pain is relatively high for individuals that are likely to value money more, such as people who find it hard to make ends meet with their income. On average, cash is perceived to be most helpful in preventing overspending, whereas contactless payments are the least helpful. The lower the perceived pain of paying contactless is in comparison to the pain associated with other payment methods, the lower its perceived usefulness in preventing overspending. Moreover, the intensity of use of contactless payments is negatively correlated with the relative pain of paying contactless, which suggests that people try to avoid the pain of paying. As the usage of cash is declining, it is important that policymakers develop tools that help consumers in averting overspending when utilizing electronic payment methods, particularly contactless ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine whether household type (eg, families with children) moderated the effects of an optimal defaults grocery intervention and examine intervention effects on grocery purchases to be consumed by the participant vs others in the household. Participants (n = 65) diagnosed with or at risk for type 2 diabetes were recruited and randomized into an optimal default online grocery intervention or an online or in-person control group. Grocery receipt data were coded into Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension nutritional quality scores, and energy, carbohydrate, and sugar content were calculated. Repeated measures analysis of variance examined household types (eg, single vs multi-resident) as moderators of intervention effects. Parallel models explored foods purchased for the participant and foods purchased for other household members separately. Household type was not a significant moderator of intervention effects on nutritional quality or other nutrients of interest (P > 0.10). The default intervention significantly increased the nutritional quality of groceries purchased across household types and for other household members besides the participant (P < 0.05). Optimal defaults may improve grocery purchases across different household types and extend to others in the household, supporting use across household types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines restaurant managements' (owners, managers, or the chefs) perceptions, motivations, and constraints in buying local food ingredients from local farmers' market vendors (farmer vendors) in a study conducted in Vancouver, Canada and Christchurch, New Zealand. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with restaurants (31 in Vancouver and 28 in Christchurch). Results revealed that purchasing local food from farmers' market vendors was perceived as beneficial by restaurants, but they experienced challenges with purchasing. This study further presented evidence that restaurants satisfaction with wholesale distributors is an important purchasing factor in local food purchasing decisions while sustainable production products were not the main motivation among restaurants in both the samples. In the light of empirical findings, theoretical and practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engaging young children in food skills such as food planning and preparation early in life may be an important predictor of later child cooking skills. The aim of this study was to examine whether early life involvement in food skills (mean age at baseline = 3.6 years) is prospectively associated with cooking skills among a sample of 60 children (mean age at follow-up = 10.0 years; 83% White) from the Guelph Family Health Study, an ongoing cohort study examining the effect of a home-based obesity prevention intervention. Early life involvement in food skills, i.e., child involvement in grocery shopping and meal preparation, was reported by parents at baseline. Children self-reported their cooking skills at follow-up. After adjusting for child age, child sex, parent age, household income, and intervention status, early life involvement in food skills was significantly associated with later child cooking skills (β = 0.24, 95% CI (0.02–0.45), p = 0.03). Future studies with larger and more socioeconomically, geographically, and racially diverse samples are needed to confirm these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID‐19 caused profound societal changes to cope rapidly with the new circumstances. The food market changed its quantity, quality, form, and frequency dynamics. Consequently, food‐eating habits and lifestyles like physical exercise likely experienced changes. An online‐based survey was conducted between June 2020 and January 2021 in the metropolitan regions of Rhine Ruhr Metropolis (RRM), Greater São Paulo (GSP), other metropolitan regions in São Paulo state (oMRSP), other Brazilian metropolitan regions (oBRMR), and the remaining urban areas in both countries (oUA), representing different contexts of Brazil and Germany. We assessed self‐reported changes in physical activity level, diet quality, self‐reported eating habits, and buying groceries during the first year of the pandemic. In Germany, indoor and outdoor activities increased for 34% of the respondents, while in Brazil, there was a decrease in physical activity for 50% of the participants. The Healthy Eating Index (HEI) scored higher among Brazilians (16.8) than Germans (15.2) on a 0–29 HEI scale. Increased awareness of healthy and sustainable eating habits was observed in GSP (0.7), oMRSP (0.63), oBRMR (0.7), and oUA (0.68) on a scale from no change (0) to change (1). In RRM, an increase in convenience foods was noticed (0.86). Participants reported discomfort with food purchasing due to hygiene measures and avoided going to the supermarket (0.7 on average in Brazil and 0.58 for females using the same 0–1 scale). Also, food supply at the grocery shops was reported to be often unavailable and in lower quantities. A real‐time assessment of self‐reported changes in eating habits and lifestyle during the lockdown in 2020 in different contexts is insightful for rethinking strategies to improve conditions in the post‐COVID‐19 era and prepare for future pandemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buying decisions are influenced by a variety of factors that can give rise to impulsive, unplanned, or even irrational purchases. Research has examined the motivational factors that foster organic food consumption, but no study has explored the relative weights of these factors and whether their effects vary depending on the type of food. This study adopted the cognitive-affective perspective to examine the antecedents of online impulsive buying of organic food using a sample of 452 consumers living in Baghdad, Iraq. The fuzzy AHP and fuzzy TOPSIS methods were used to rank five organic food alternatives. The results revealed that the effects of cognitive factors on organic food purchases differ from those of affective factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 has represented a watershed in people's lifestyle. One important consequence has been the change in how people buy groceries online/offline that represent the most frequent shopping-related trip any household performs. Since this has substantially different transport and environmental implications, it is crucial to investigate what are the COVID-19-induced variations. This paper estimates both travel and environmental impacts grocery channel choice implies by comparing, in a diachronic fashion, the pre and during COVID-19 situation in Norway, considering alternative scenarios describing different service configurations for each channel considered. Stated preferences are used to estimate market shares for grocery purchase distinguishing between different channels: in-store, home delivery and click&pick. The robust comparative analysis between the two time periods is guaranteed by the use of the same methodological approach in the same geographical context. Results show that total emissions are lower during the pandemic and adopting a free delivery strategy not only increases home delivery market shares but also produces the lowest level of CO2 emissions regardless of COVID-19. The results obtained are particularly relevant in the "new normal" the world is experiencing both from a public policymaking perspective, when promoting transport-related interventions to curb emissions, and from a private standpoint, when customising market strategies to increase sales and profits. • COVID-19 has represented a watershed in people's lifestyle. • Investigating changes in how people buy groceries online/offline is important. • Stated preferences are used to estimate grocery market shares for different channels. • The paper estimates travel and environmental impacts pre and during COVID-19 via scenario analysis. • Results are particularly relevant for both the public and private sector in the "new normal" conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Customers today benefit from online grocery shopping (OGS) since it makes their lives easier and more pleasant. This study examines the extension of the technology adoption model with some new variables like visibility, economic values, habit, informativeness, and website trust and their influence on the intention to use online grocery shopping by Indian customers. A structured questionnaire was developed, and 342 responses were used for analysis. Two techniques were used: firstly, structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to determine which variables had a significant influence on the intention to use OGS; in the second phase, artificial neural network modelling (ANN) was used, under a deep learning approach, to classify the relative influence of the significant predictors obtained by PLS-SEM. The study's findings suggest that the habit has the highest impact on users' intention to use OGS, followed by perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and website trust. On the other side, the results of neural network analysis confirmed many SEM findings. The study will help all online grocery service providers to build their services and strategies based on the tastes and needs of their customers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the impact of utilizing colorful and monochrome food photography in advertisements on consumer intentions to purchase food and beverages. It discusses how visual cues influence consumer behavior and purchase decisions, highlighting the significance of aesthetic presentation in food marketing and its implications for businesses.

Fiscal policies can shift relative food prices to encourage the purchase and consumption of minimally processed foods while discouraging the purchase and consumption of unhealthy ultraprocessed foods, high in calories and nutrients of concern (sodium, sugar, and saturated fats), especially for low-income households. The 2017–2018 packaged food purchase data among U.S. households were used to derive household income- and composition-specific demand elasticities across 22 food and beverage categories. Policy simulations, conducted in 2022–2023, assessed the impact of national taxes on unhealthy ultraprocessed food and beverage purchases, both separately and alongside subsidies for minimally processed foods and beverages targeted to low-income households. Resultant nutritional implications are reported on the basis of changes in purchased calories and nutrients of concern. In addition, financial implications for both households and the federal government are projected. A sugar-based tax on sugar-sweetened beverages would lower both volume and calories purchased with the largest impact on low-income households without children. Meanwhile, targeted subsidies would increase fruit, vegetable, and healthier drink purchases without substantially increasing calories. Under tax simulations, low-income households would make larger reductions in their absolute volume and calorie purchases of taxed foods and beverages than their higher-income counterparts, suggesting that these policies, if implemented, could help narrow nutritional disparities. Levying national taxes on unhealthy ultraprocessed foods/beverages and offering targeted subsidies for minimally processed foods/beverages could promote healthier food choices among low-income households. Such policies have the potential to benefit low-income households financially and at a relatively low cost for the federal government annually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the food insecurity issue across the nation, especially for vulnerable population groups. As an important way to access food, online grocery shopping has gained substantial popularity during COVID-19. However, it is not clear how COVID-19 impacted both the in-store and online grocery shopping simultaneously and how the impacts varied among different population groups. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the impacts of COVID-19 on food access, we conducted two rounds of online survey during the initial and middle stages of COVID-19 in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. In addition to the factors that have been examined in the literature, we examined how travel behavior, food environment, and lifestyle change affected both in-store and online shopping during COVID-19 when compared with before COVID-19. Analysis results suggest that the methods people used for grocery shopping varied with different stages of COVID-19 and among different population groups. Changes of people's daily life and travel behavior during COVID-19 are found to be associated with people's grocery shopping method selection. While people with better food environment were more likely to keep in-store grocery shopping, as the pandemic progressed, food environment became less important as a factor influencing the adoption of online grocery shopping. Food assistance program participants had a higher demand for the online grocery shopping service. However, the barriers associated with redeeming their benefits online prohibited them from becoming new online grocery shoppers during COVID-19. The study provides important insights into planning of food provision and formulating effective intervention strategies during future shocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, there are a dozen labelling schemes pertaining to farm animal welfare in at least seven Member States. Despite the proliferation of animal welfare labels, European Union rules on food information to consumers concerning the treatment of farmed animals used in animal-source food production remain fragmented and incomplete. On the one hand, the rules contained in agricultural regulations primarily aim to harmonise marketing standards, but only for some products. On the other hand, consumer protection rules aim to protect consumers from misleading commercial claims but not misleading claims about animal treatment specifically. After examining the situation that has led to the proliferation of animal welfare food labels in the European Union, this article analyses the animal welfare food labelling landscape and presents different regulatory pathways to best harmonise consumer information on farm animal welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Convenience food cooked by sous vide has been developing in the field of high cuisine and restaurants. In this paper the perception of Argentinian consumers of a convenience food cooked by sous vide was explored through the use of projective techniques. The results demonstrated that good taste and convenience were the principal positive characteristics that promoted the intent to purchase a convenience food cooked by sous vide, whereas mistrust and lack of knowledge of the preparation and composition of the product discouraged the consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Families participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) experienced barriers to accessing healthy food during the COVID-19 pandemic, but we do not yet understand how WIC participant food purchases shifted during the pandemic. Objectives: We aimed to describe the association between the initial shock of the pandemic in March 2020 and WIC shoppers' food purchases and changes in purchases before and during the pandemic at a top grocery chain and examine differences in these relationships by duration of WIC use. Methods: We used longitudinal food transaction data from WIC shoppers (n = 2,989,116 shopper-month observations from 175,081 unique WIC shoppers) from 496 stores in a top grocery store chain in North Carolina between October 2019 and May 2021. We used an interrupted time series design to describe the following: 1) the relationship between the initial shock of the pandemic and WIC shopper food purchases and 2) differences in purchases before and during the pandemic. To assess differences in purchases between shoppers consistently using WIC electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards and shoppers starting or stopping WIC EBT use during the pandemic, we used models stratified by WIC group. Primary outcomes were share (%) of total calories purchased from fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes (FV), processed foods, and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). Results: We observed small decreases in the share of total calories from FV (-0.4%) and small increases in the share of calories from processed food (1.1%) and SSBs (0.5%) purchased at this retailer when comparing the pre and post March 2020 periods. Compared with shoppers that started or stopped using WIC benefits during the pandemic, shoppers that used WIC benefits consistently had slightly higher FV and lower processed food and SSB purchases at this retailer. Conclusions: Future studies should examine whether additional supports for nutrient-dense food choices may be needed for families with low incomes in public health emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the explosive growth of the mobile application (app) market, food delivery apps have become an indispensable functional element in the foodservice industry especially in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. However, research about food delivery apps and its advertisement (ad) has hardly been carried out in the hospitality context. This study filled this gap and explored how ad attributes of the food delivery app influence consumer post-purchase behavior. Our results demonstrated these attributes significantly affect attitude toward ads. In addition, this attitude along with satisfaction maximized the influence of the contribution of the attributes to inducing approach decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Introduction: The digital food retail environment (defined in this study as a digital platform, app or website where food can be purchased by individuals for personal consumption) is an emerging component of the wider food system. We aimed to systematically search and review the literature to understand the potential influence of the digital food retail environment on population diets and health. Methods: Four databases (across health, business, and marketing) and grey literature were searched using terms relating to "food and beverages," "digital," and "purchasing." Identified studies were included if they examined any aspect of the digital food retail environment where outcomes were examined with a health‐related focus and were published before September 2023. All study designs were included (quantitative, qualitative, observational, and experimental). Reviews and conference abstracts were excluded. Results: We identified 21,382 studies, of which 57 articles were eligible for inclusion. Of the 57 included studies, 30 studies examined online grocery retail, 22 examined online food delivery platforms, and five examined meal kit subscription services. Of the 30 studies examining online grocery retail, six studies reported that customers believed they purchased fewer unhealthy food and beverages when shopping online, compared with shopping in‐store. Nevertheless, customers also reported that their ability to choose healthy foods and beverages was reduced when shopping online due to difficulty in product comparison. Studies that examined online food delivery platforms primarily found that they promoted unhealthy foods and beverages more often than healthy options, through extensive use of marketing practices such as price discounts and images, and that unhealthy food offerings on these platforms dominate. Meal kit subscription services offered mostly healthy meals, with studies suggesting that these types of services may help individuals alleviate some of their "mental load" and stress related to cooking meals for their families. Conclusions: The literature describing the digital food retail environment was found to be diverse, with different aspects having potential to impact health in different ways. Some evidence suggests that online grocery retail and meal kit subscription services may have positive population dietary impacts, whereas online food delivery platforms appear likely to promote unhealthy food purchasing. However, the current evidence base is fragmented, with many knowledge gaps. Further research is required to understand the influence of the digital food retail environment on population diets and how these environments can be designed to support healthy food choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a lasting impact on many economies around the globe. One area where significant changes have been documented is consumer behavior. A questionnaire survey was carried out to understand the impact of COVID-19 on grocery purchase behavior of Canadian consumers and evaluate the permanence of these effects. With a focus on online grocery shopping, this work integrates multiple existing theories of consumer behavior to explore the influence of different factors on consumers' adoption of online mode of grocery shopping during the pandemic and their intentions to continue the use of this mode in the post-pandemic world. A total of more than 600 usable survey responses were analyzed using statistical analysis and a Logit econometrics technique. The results reveal that 72% of the survey participants had to alter their grocery shopping habits as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; 63% of these consumers claim that the changes that occurred would prevail in the future, with no return to the "pre-COVID normal". The results also show that the pandemic resulted in significant proliferation of online grocery shopping among Canadian consumers. Further, the findings show that the important factors that explain adoption of online grocery shopping and the shift towards higher reliance on online grocery purchases in the future include the perceived threat of COVID, pre-COVID shopping habits, socio-demographic characteristics, and the variables that capture technological opportunities and abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Geographic access to food may affect dietary choices and health outcomes, but the strength and direction of associations may depend on the operationalization of exposure measures. We aimed to systematically review the literature on up-to-date evidence on the association between food environment exposures based on Global Positioning System (GPS) and diet-related and cardiometabolic health outcomes. Methods: The databases PubMed, Embase.com, APA PsycInfo (via Ebsco), Cinahl (via Ebsco), the Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, and the International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (via ProQuest) were searched from inception to October 31, 2022. We included studies that measured the activity space through GPS tracking data to identify exposure to food outlets and assessed associations with either diet-related or cardiometabolic health outcomes. Quality assessment was evaluated using the criteria from a modified version of the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) for cross-sectional studies. We additionally used four items from a quality assessment tool to specifically assess the quality of GPS measurements. Results: Of 2949 studies retrieved, 14 studies fulfilled our inclusion criteria. They were heterogeneous and represent inconsistent evidence. Yet, three studies found associations between food outlets and food purchases, for example, more exposure to junk food outlets was associated with higher odds of junk food purchases. Two studies found associations between greater exposure to fast food outlets and higher fast food consumption and out of three studies that investigated food environment in relation to metabolic outcomes, two studies found that higher exposure to an unhealthy food environment was associated with higher odds of being overweight. Conclusions: The current and limited evidence base does not provide strong evidence for consistent associations of GPS-based exposures of the food environment with diet-related and cardiometabolic health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to bridge the gap between the potential and realized spatial access to food outlets in rural areas of Québec, Canada. By assessing both aspects, this research aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by rural communities in accessing food resources and the effectiveness of existing interventions in addressing these challenges. A mixed methods approach was adopted to collect and analyze data, combining GIS-based spatial analysis with community-based surveys. The spatial analysis allowed for the quantification of the potential access metrics, while the community surveys provided valuable information on travel behaviors, preferences, and barriers experienced by residents when accessing food outlets. The results of the distance measurement calculations showed that for both the potential and realized distance measurements, convenience stores are more easily accessible than grocery stores and supermarkets. Thus, workers seem to have a strategy for minimizing the impact of long distances by combining work and grocery shopping. These results are measured for the realized accessibility to grocery stores and supermarkets and the principal retailer used. Finally, the results of the analyses show that there is a socio-economic gradient in the potential geographical accessibility from home to the food outlets. The importance of developing and strengthening the local food environment to make it favourable to healthy eating and supportive of food security is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much research has focused on consumer adoption of online grocery shopping (OGS), with less attention paid to consumers' decision-making styles (CDMS) in OGS. Prior research in other retail domains suggests that CDMS is an effective way to identify relevant consumer segments, thereby enabling retailers to differentiate their service offering and marketing efforts to different target groups. This study aims to segment online grocery shoppers based on CDMS by conducting a survey and cluster analysis with Finnish online grocery shoppers (n = 426). The study identifies three segments; Quality-oriented, Price-oriented, and Novelty-oriented. The segments were further specified by comparing their demographics, shopping characteristics and OGS behavior. The results indicate that the Novelty-oriented are the most active and loyal group of online shoppers, who offer potential for a variety of online grocers. They are the youngest, busiest, and most likely to work a full-time job and have children. The other two clusters also have clear profiles which grocers are wise to tailor their offering to. Overall, the results show that using CDMS for segmentation is a reasonable way to better understand characteristics and behaviors of online grocery shoppers, thereby helping retailers to target them more effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Using rewards may be an effective method to positively influence children's eating behaviour but evidence to date is limited, particularly in older children. The cashless canteen systems in schools provides a unique opportunity to implement a food-based reward scheme but intervention development work and feasibility testing is needed. The overall aim of the E4T feasibility study was to examine the feasibility and acceptability of implementing a rewards scheme based on the food purchasing behaviour of pupils in cashless canteens in secondary schools. Methods: A non-randomised, controlled, parallel-group cluster feasibility study conducted in four secondary schools (two intervention and two control) serving areas of the highest social deprivation in Northern Ireland. During the 4-month trial, pupils earned points for foods purchased at the school canteen, with better nutritional choices having a higher value. Pupils could exchange the points they earned for rewards (e.g. stationery, vouchers, sports equipment) via the E4T website. Qualitative and quantitative data was collected from year 9 and 10 pupils (boys and girls aged 12–14 years), teachers and canteen staff to address the feasibility questions. Results: Two intervention (one urban, one rural) and one control (urban) school completed the study. Seventy-one percent of 12–14-year-old pupils consented to take part; 1% of parents opted their child out of the study. Questionnaire completion rates were high (6 and 11% of questionnaires were partially completed at baseline and follow-up respectively). Collecting data on food consumed in the canteen was challenging logistically. Focus groups with pupils indicated that the overall concept of E4T was well received and there was a high degree of satisfaction with the rewards available. Pupils and teachers made several suggestions for improvements. Conclusions: E4T was successfully implemented as a result of collaboration between schools, school canteens and cashless canteen providers working with a multidisciplinary research team. It was acceptable to pupils, teachers and canteen staff. The findings suggest a few areas for refining implementation and evaluation processes that would need to be considered in the design of a larger trial, particularly resources required to streamline implementation and ways to optimise pupil engagement. Trial registration: Under review with https://www.clinicaltrials.gov (retrospective registration—reg number and weblink to be added). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we introduce an innovative application of clustering algorithms to assess and appraise Italy's alignment with respect to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on those related to climate change and the agrifood market. Specifically, we examined SDG 02: Zero Hunger, SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, and SDG 13: Climate Change, to evaluate Italy's performance in one of its most critical economic sectors. Beyond performance analysis, we administered a questionnaire to a cross-section of the Italian populace to gain deeper insights into their awareness of sustainability in everyday grocery shopping and their understanding of SDGs. Furthermore, we employed an unsupervised machine learning approach in our research to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of SDGs across European countries and position Italy relative to the others. Additionally, we conducted a detailed analysis of the responses to a newly designed questionnaire to gain a reasonable description of the population's perspective on the research topic. A general poor performance in the SDGs indicators emerged for Italy. However, from the questionnaire results, an overall significant interest in the sustainability of the acquired products from italian citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has already crippled normal life all over the world. Its negative impact not only changed the human health system tragically but also disrupted the global economic system. One negative result was ended up in the global food supply chain. As the lockdown times have suspended the manufacturing and logistic activities, therefore, the customers have experienced unimaginable chaos in the shopping markets. Moreover, the purchasing habit of the consumers has remarkably changed compared to pre-pandemic. To meet this new demand pattern, many grocery retailers have tried to adapt to the new normal. While before COVID-19 offline grocery purchasing was popular, after the pandemic, online service got tremendous attention in market. In this study, online grocery supply chain management during the COVID-19 in Istanbul is considered. The aim is to find out how online grocery companies will serve more efficiently during the pandemics and which factors have more effect on the customer's satisfaction. To do so, first, three popular grocery retailers in Istanbul were selected. Then, a related survey was designed to understand the consumer experience as doing online grocery shopping in COVID-19. Unsurprisingly, a result shows that 60% of the respondents did online shopping every 3-4 days in one week, and the delivery time is the most important factor for the customers. Then, the SWOT analyses were performed accordingly, and the related strategies were summarized. Finally, several managerial implications were given to may improve the company's online services in COVID-19 and post COVID-19 in Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: College is characterized by transition, students shifting from dependence to independence in numerous roles/responsibilities. Deficiencies in food/nutrition aptitudes and dietary intake exist, evidenced by declining physical well-being and poor eating patterns/practices within the population. Studies examining interventions to improve food/nutrition aptitudes and dietary intake among college students are limited. Participants/methods: A nutrition education program, Culinary Boot Camp (CBC), was developed and delivered to college students at a land-grant university. Online surveys assessed food/nutrition aptitudes and dietary intake pre-/post-/follow-up intervention. Results: Of 86 CBC participants, 71 pre-, 46 post-, and 20 follow-up surveys were completed. Several food/nutrition aptitudes improved (p ≤ 0.05), with greatest improvements in cooking skills/attitudes and healthy eating/grocery shopping self-efficacy (p < 0.01). Additionally, dietary intake of various micronutrients (vitamin C, magnesium, potassium) and fiber increased with statistical significance (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Results suggest CBC is an effective nutrition education program to improve food/nutrition aptitudes and dietary intake amomg college students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Households that buy more on discount waste less food. • We combined actual waste data, shopping behavior data and psychographic data. • Environmentally concerned consumers produce less food waste. • Larger households are observed to produce more actual food waste. • Perceived food waste correlates positively with actual food waste. In the debate about food waste, pricing mechanisms used in marketing are criticized to trigger consumers to over-purchase and consequently waste food. Despite the ambiguity of the scientific results on the matter, the criticism persists, prompting many retailers to abolish 'buy one get one free' price promotions. However, evidence whether this initiative is justified are lacking. In this paper we aim to empirically explore the relation between retail price promotions and household level food waste. We collected actual food waste data, gathered discount shopping behaviour data through shopping receipts, as well as attitudinal data through a questionnaire from a sample of 118 households in Denmark. Our results provide evidence to counter the criticism and show that households with the largest actual proportion of food bought on discount waste less food, as well as those who are environmentally conscious, whereas larger households and those who lack skills in food practices waste more food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agrotourism is the practice of visiting farms or other agricultural settings for recreation and/or education. It is widely understood that agrotourism is a positive benefactor for local farms and the economy, but little has been studied about the impact of agrotour participation on consumer behaviour. The aim of this preliminary analysis was to explore the impact of agrotour participation on attitudes, perceived behavioural control, personal norms, and intentions towards purchasing local foods. Participants who registered for an agrotour at Traktour (Montréal, QC) between March and July 2023 were invited to complete an online survey the week before, and two weeks following the tour. Paired t-tests compared results from the surveys before and after the agrotour. Pearson's correlation coefficient was utilized to explore associations. This study was approved by the McGill University REB #23-03-029. Of 61 participants emailed, 48 (79%) responded to the pre- and 34 (56%) to the postagrotour survey. Participants had a mean age of 47 years (SD 17), with 28 (58%) having a bachelor's degree education or higher and 36 (75%) reporting an annual household income of $50,000 or greater. There were no statistically significant changes in attitudes, perceived behavioural control, personal norms, or intentions regarding purchasing local foods. Perceived behavioural control and personal norms were positively correlated with intentions to purchase local foods, but attitudes were not. Thirty participants (88%) reported the agrotour made them more conscious about where their food comes from and in the two weeks following the tour, 25 (74%) participants reported purchasing local foods. This is the first study to explore consumer demographics and the impact of an agrotour in Québec on consumer attitudes towards purchasing local foods. Future efforts should utilize objective measures of local food purchasing and aim to target perceived behavioural control and personal norms to increase local food purchasing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the barriers and facilitators to online food purchasing through a meal kit and grocery shopping website titled NY SNAP Express among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries. A purposive sample of SNAP-eligible adults residing in New York State participated in interviews guided by the Capabilities, Opportunities, Motivations, and Behaviors Model. Barriers to online food purchasing among participants (n = 32) include physiological and health conditions, the weight of food, technology, language, the price of foods, transportation challenges, the stigma associated with SNAP, and concerns regarding the quantity and quality of meal kits. Facilitators include health and nutrition improvements, knowledge and skills, saving money, culturally relevant meals, increased efficiency in food purchases and preparation, and customization. Online platforms such as NY SNAP Express have the potential to increase nutritious food access and resources among SNAP recipients; however, improvements are necessary to meet the needs of its audience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imagine, you enter a grocery store to buy food. How many people do you overlap with in this store? How much time do you overlap with each person in the store? In this paper, we answer these questions by studying the overlap times between customers in the infinite server queue. We compute in closed form the steady-state distribution of the overlap time between a pair of customers and the distribution of the number of customers that an arriving customer will overlap with. Finally, we define a residual process that counts the number of overlapping customers that overlap in the queue for at least δ time units and compute its distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines how ethnocentrism, the attitude toward support local agribusiness, attitude toward the consumption of local food brands, and the subjective norm affect buying intention of livestock-based local food brands. This study was carried out in Indonesia and Vietnam because both countries are promising markets for global brands, due to their large populations and economic growth rates. The study was conducted through offline and online surveys. Data was analyzed using t-test and Partial Least Square structural equation modeling for the hypothesis testing. The result showed that in Indonesia and Vietnam, ethnocentrism influenced the attitude toward the consumption of local food brands, but the data from Indonesia showed that the attitude toward support local agribusiness did not affect the attitude toward the consumption of local food brands. Moreover, for both countries, the attitude toward the consumption of local food brands and the subjective norm influenced the local food brand buying intention. However, in Indonesia and Vietnam, the attitude toward support local agribusiness did not affect the local food brand buying intention. Moreover, mean average off all constructs in Indonesia were significantly higher than in Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumers' cultural values influence their decision-making, and these values are captured in Hofstede's six cultural dimensions. Culture is important in the food context in India but has been relatively neglected in research. Further, the moderating effect of Hofstede's newest cultural dimension (Indulgence vs Restraint) is under-researched, especially for organic food. The aim of this study was to examine the moderating effects of Hofstede's six cultural dimensions on the relationship between organic food purchase intention and purchase behavior. Data from 401 students in North India were collected through online surveys. Results revealed that three cultural dimensions (Uncertainty avoidance, Long-term orientation, and Indulgence) significantly moderated the effects of organic food purchase intention on organic food purchase behavior, while three others (Power distance, Collectivism, and Masculinity) did not. The results have implications for organic food producers and marketers, who need to be aware of cultural characteristics when targeting consumer markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines housework reallocation during China's stringent pandemic lockdowns in 2020, where individuals were homebound and job-free while employment status remained unchanged. Utilizing a mixed-method approach, it analyzes 1669 surveys and 100 interviews to understand changes in domestic labor patterns and the underlying reasons. The findings indicate that men increased their participation in grocery shopping but decreased in cooking, cleaning, and laundry during the lockdown. This gender-task pattern was mirrored in multi-generational households, where younger family members often took on these tasks. The reasons articulated for these shifts predominantly converged around the 'doing gender' theory. Women, particularly those working full-time, had more time to engage in household chores. Men, while also having more available time, predominantly focused on grocery shopping, a task that gained masculine connotations during the lockdown. Factors such as perceived differences in household labor quality, difficulty delegating housework, and reduced workload led to women's increased involvement and specialization in domestic tasks. The study challenges the notion that economic factors are the primary drivers of gender-based division of housework. Instead, it suggests that ingrained gender norms continue to dictate domestic roles, as evidenced during the lockdown period devoid of usual economic and time pressures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the era of e-commerce, a new business mode—e-grocery platform has become popular in recent years. An e-grocery platform need not own and operate shops. The platform assigns the orders that customers release on the platform to the part-time couriers; then the couriers go to some nearby shops, buy the commodities required by orders, and deliver them to the orders' shipping address. This study proposes a mathematical model on selecting and accepting customer orders, assigning the accepted orders to couriers, selecting shops for buying each order's required commodities, and routing each courier among her/his visited shops and assigned order's shipping address. Moreover, the uncertain arrivals of future orders is taken into account by the proposed model. For solving the proposed two-stage stochastic integer programming model with the integer recourse function, this study also designs a novel algorithm based on column generation. Based on the real data from platform operators in Shanghai and Hangzhou, numerical experiments are conducted to validate the efficiency of the proposed algorithm. Sensitivity analysis based on the real data are also conducted to derive potentially useful managerial implications for practitioners who operate third-party e-grocery platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research shows that the search for healthier foods and concern for sustainability are driving the purchase of organic products. However, consumer expectations for quality attributes and sustainability often go beyond the parameters for organic certification, even after the latest revision (EU Regulation 2018/848). This article aims to explore Italian consumers' expectations for attributes beyond the current organic certification and to highlight the importance of introducing an additional certification for this added value. Nine focus groups (59 participants) were conducted and analyzed with the Template Analysis approach using Atlas.ti 6.0. Participants expressed expectations beyond current organic certification: i) "for the consumer" (excellent product quality); ii) "for the people and the planet" (ethical aspects of production and distribution); iii) information about organic labels. The development of an "organic plus sustainability certification" seems important: it could allow consumers to make more conscious and ethical purchasing decisions in mature but still changing organic markets such as Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyse the purchase of food for school feeding, according to the extent and purpose of industrial processing and variety, exploring the feasibility of achieving the requirements and recommendations of the Brazilian School Feeding Programme, and the variety of unprocessed or minimally processed foods according to the purchase of ultra-processed foods. Design: Secondary data from 2016 from the Accountability Management System of the National Fund for Educational Development, concerning the food items purchased, were used to explore the feasibility of the requirements and recommendations. The foods were grouped according to the NOVA classification system. Variety was assessed by counting different types of unprocessed or minimally processed foods. Setting: Brazil. Participants: 3698 Brazilian municipalities. Results: Energy share from unprocessed or minimally processed foods was 44·1 % while that of ultra-processed foods was 29·9 %. The average of unprocessed or minimally processed food types purchased annually was 33·8 items. Of the municipalities, 35·8 % were within the limit established for the expenditure of funds for the purchase of processed and ultra-processed foods, while 8·7 % followed the recommendation for variety. The proportion of ultra-processed foods did not influence the variety of food items purchased. Conclusions: The results showed the feasibility of achieving the requirements and recommendations and underscored the importance of continued efforts to promote the inclusion of unprocessed or minimally processed foods in the school feeding programme while addressing the challenges associated with expenditure limits of processed and ultra-processed foods and enhancing variety, which is strategic to promote adequate and healthy meals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: As a new type of consumer subject in the market that was formerly dominated by multiple person families, single households are driving the change in the buying structure. Food purchase activities have undergone significant changes since the outbreak of the COVID‐19. The objective of this study was to assess and compare variations in food consumption, purchase and handling during the COVID-19 pandemic between single person households (SPH) and multiple person households. Method: A cross-sectional study conducted among 211 individuals in communities in Harris and Waller Counties, Texas. Sociodemographic, food purchase, food consumption and food handling activities during the COVID-19 pandemic were assessed with a validated COVID-19 Nutrition questionnaire. Results: Non-Hispanic Black participants constituted 42.6%, and 28.4% were Hispanics. Participants were made up of mostly aged 18–24 years (39.3%), 47.9% single household composition, 30.4% in full time employment, and 29.1% partook in food assistance programs. A large proportion of them had never used grocery pickup services, online grocery shopping and a farmers' market. During the COVID-19 pandemic, majority of the participants used more of large supermarkets, restaurant/fast food, and online grocery but food consumption seemed to remain the same for the majority of participants. For beverages, majority of participants consumed more water, less soda, and no alcohol. There was a significant association between single person household and higher restaurant/fast foods purchase. Many of the participants reported weight gain and less physical activity during the pandemic. Conclusion: Restaurant meal purchases was more prevalent in single-person families. The results from the study have the potential to contribute to how public policy officials, food service, and health authorities forecast how different categories of consumers will react in pandemics and may be used to inform area-specific alleviation strategies to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and future events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the coronavirus pandemic, many restaurants have redesigned their technology infrastructure to adapt to the new business conditions and continue their operations. Based on the affordances theory, this research examines the role of affordances provided by information technology in facilitating consumer tasks such as menu access, ordering, fulfillment, and acquiring information regarding restaurants' compliance with health recommendations. Based on data from 600 U.S. restaurant consumers, this research conducted three online experiments. It was found that the menu access mode and website type interaction influence consumers' intentions to recommend the restaurant on social media (MS = 10.457, p <.01). It was also found that the payment type influences consumers' intentions to use contact reducing technology (MS = 7.029, p <.01) and that the types of images presented on restaurant websites influence consumers' tipping behaviors (MS = 445.846, p <.05). As the first study to examine restaurants' technology affordances and their impact on consumer behavior during the pandemic, this study provides several important theoretical and practical contributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dietary risk, one of the major risk factors for the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases, is influenced by household food choices and purchases. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 250 randomly selected households of an urban resettlement colony in Delhi to estimate the proportion of households purchasing different healthier food options during the last purchasing occasion and to identify its key determinants. Purchase of healthier options in staple items like wheat flour with fiber (100%), plant-based oils (97.9%), unpolished pulses (96.2%), and toned milk (94.5%) was high. Affordability and health considerations in food purchases were identified as key determinants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stunting currently affects 37% (1.1 million) of Malawian children and causing unfavorable impact for both children and their households. Identifying risk factors to stunting would go a long way in developing appropriate interventions. The objective of this study was to identify the risk factors of stunting among children aged below 60 months from Balaka, Dedza and Mzimba districts in Malawi. A matched cross-sectional case-control study was conducted among 913 (446 controls; 467 cases) children aged below 60 months from three regions of Malawi. Household demographic, anthropometric measurements, dietary intake, food security, and morbidity information were collected. Case-Control Stepwise multiple logistic regression models are used to determine risk factors of stunting. The following were identified as risk factors for stunting including; age of child (AOR= 6.3; 95% CI: 2.9, 8.9), polygamy (AOR= 8.9; 95%, CI: 3.3, 13.03), maternal education (AOR= 9.9; 95%, CI: 2.8, 20.1), access to markets (AOR= 1.3; 95%, CI: 0.2, 2.4), childhood infections (AOR= 2.11; 95%, CI: 1.4, 4.2) and presence of oedema (AOR= 2.5; 95%, CI: 1.3, 4.1). Also, lack of food any month (AOR= 1.31; 95%, CI: 1.01, 4.9), purchasing food on credit (AOR= 1.48; 95%, CI: 1.4, 1.7), begging for food (AOR= 1.55; 95%, CI: 1.2, 2.1), mothers or caregivers consuming less than 5 food groups (MDD-W) (AOR = 4.83; 95% CI: 1.9, 16.4), exclusive breastfeeding (AOR= 5.45; 95%, CI: 4.33, 7.61) children weaned on plain water (AOR= 1.6; 95%, CI: 1.6, 2.41), powdered milk (AOR= 0.63; 95%, CI: 0.4, 1.32), juices (AOR= 0.44; 95%, CI: 0.12, 0.96) and children fed on sugary food (AOR= 0.66; 95%, CI: 0.4, 0.99) were significantly related to stunting. Stunting is associated with increasing age of children, boys, polygamous households, lack of education by mothers or caregivers, inaccessible markets, childhood infections and presence of oedema, food insecurity, breastfeeding and complementary feeding among children and dietary diversity of mothers or caregivers. These results suggest that interventions against childhood stunting should be designed according to the factors that significantly affect stunting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]