Modeling of food consumption behavior in the quarantine period applied during the coronavirus SARS-CoV2 (COVID-19) outbreak in Turkey

Abstract

The spread of coronavirus worldwide has affected consumer behavior in many ways. This paper tries to investigate the impact of the SARS-CoV2 (COVID-19) on food consumption behavior of consumers. Food consumption motivation data were assessed and compared before, during, and after the quarantine. An online survey was conducted among about 900 people from 54 different cities in Turkey, between April and May 2020, trying to understand consumers’ changing behavior in their food choices, preferences, and habits during the pandemic period. The aim of this paper is (i) to examine how consumer preferences were influenced by the COVID-19 quarantine period, using an ordered probit analysis, and (ii) to identify differences in the preferences for the food itself, food disinfection and cooking, and shopping preferences before and during the quarantine. Finally, as per the consumers’ body mass index (BMI), correlation with their mood and eating frequencies was observed. The findings indicate that, under stress conditions, like the quarantine period, food preferences and eating behavior changed, and consumers put all those emotions and information into their consumption process.