Household mobility in food purchasing during COVID-19 lockdown: Evidence from Torino, Italy

ABSTRACT Objective To report perspectives of participants in a food benefit program that includes FAS restrictions and FAS restrictions paired with F/V incentives. Design Randomized experimental trial in which participant perspectives were an exploratory study outcome. Setting Participants were randomized into one of three SNAP-like food benefit program groups - (1) Restriction: not allowed to buy FAS with benefits; (2) Restriction paired with incentive: not allowed to buy FAS with benefits and 30% financial incentive on eligible F/V purchased using benefits; or (3) Control: Same food purchasing rules as SNAP. Participants were asked questions to assess program satisfaction. Participants Adults in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN metropolitan area, eligible for but not currently participating in SNAP who completed baseline and follow-up study measures (n=254). Results Among remaining households in each group, most found the program helpful in buying nutritious foods (88.2%-95.7%) and were satisfied with the program (89.1%-93.0%). Sensitivity analysis results indicate that reported helpfulness and satisfaction with the program may in some instances be lower among the Restriction and the Restrictions paired with Incentive groups in comparison to the control group. Conclusions A food benefit program that includes restriction on purchase of FAS or restriction paired with a financial incentive for F/V purchases may be acceptable to most SNAP-eligible households with children.

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The Impact of a Produce Prescription Programme on Healthy Food Purchasing and Diabetes-Related Health Outcomes

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980021001828 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-24

Author(s):

Julian Xie ◽

Ashley Price ◽

Neal Curran ◽

Truls Østbye

Keyword(s):

Health Outcomes ◽

Fruits And Vegetables ◽

Healthy Food ◽

Grocery Store ◽

Diabetes Control ◽

Food Purchasing ◽

Significant Relationships ◽

Expenditure Share ◽

The Impact

Abstract Objective: To evaluate a Produce Prescription Programme’s utilisation, and its effects on healthy food purchasing and diabetes control among participants with type 2 diabetes. Design: Prospective cohort study using participants’ electronic health records (EHR) and food transaction data. Participants were categorized as “Frequent Spenders” and “Sometimes Spenders” based on utilisation frequency. Multivariate regressions assessed utilisation predictors; and programme effects on fruit/vegetable purchasing (spending, expenditure share, variety) and on diabetes-related outcomes (HbA1c, BMI, blood pressure). Setting: Patients enrolled by clinics in Durham, North Carolina, USA. Participants received $40 monthly for fruits and vegetables at a grocery store chain. Subjects: 699 food-insecure participants (353 with diabetes). Results: Being female and older was associated with higher programme utilisation; hospitalisations were negatively associated with programme utilisation. Frequent Spender status was associated with $8.77 more in fruit/vegetable spending (p < 0.001), 3.3% increase in expenditure share (p = 0.007), and variety increase of 2.52 fruits and vegetables (p < 0.001). For $10 of Produce Prescription Dollars spent, there was an $8.00 increase in fruit/vegetable spending (p < 0.001), 4.1% increase in expenditure share, and variety increase of 2.3 fruits/vegetables (p < 0.001). For the 353 participants with diabetes, there were no statistically significant relationships between programme utilisation and diabetes control. Conclusions: Programme utilisation was associated with healthier food purchasing, but the relatively short study period and modest intervention prevent making conclusions about health outcomes. Produce Prescription Programmes can increase healthy food purchasing among food-insecure people, which may improve chronic disease care.

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A Theoretical Framework on the Determinants of Food Purchasing Behavior of the Elderly: A Bibliometric Review with Scientific Mapping in Web of Science

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods10030688 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 688

Author(s):

Khaled Alhammadi ◽

Luna Santos-Roldán ◽

Luis Javier Cabeza-Ramírez

Keyword(s):

Elderly Population ◽

Web Of Science ◽

The Elderly ◽

Purchasing Behavior ◽

Food Purchasing ◽

The Past ◽

Bibliometric Review ◽

Food Market ◽

The Common ◽

Elderly Consumers

The past few years have seen significant demographic changes in most regions, including an increased elderly population. Subsequently, elderly citizens comprise an important market segment of consumers, with the food industry one of the most affected areas in this context. However, food market managers previously believed that elderly consumers’ needs were stereotyped in nature. The lack of focus on this sector, therefore, left elderly consumers as an untapped market, without realizing the financial independence of this segment regarding their nutrition. This research will attempt to provide the key determinant factors on elderly consumers’ behavior related to food. For that purpose, a complete literature review of more than 123 papers regarding these concepts has been carried out. Once analyzed, we highlight the common insights to give clear guidance for supermarket managers and food manufacturers to have a better knowledge of the reasons behind elderly people’s food acquisitions.

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Food Literacy while Shopping: Motivating Informed Food Purchasing Behaviour with a Situated Gameful App

Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems ◽

10.1145/3313831.3376801 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Marcela C. C. Bomfim ◽

Sharon I. Kirkpatrick ◽

Lennart E. Nacke ◽

James R. Wallace

Keyword(s):

Food Purchasing ◽

Food Literacy ◽

Purchasing Behaviour

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Food-Choice Values of Elementary School Children and Strategies Used to Influence Mothers’ Food Purchasing Decisions

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzaa051_017 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. 720-720

Author(s):

Nazratun Monalisa ◽

Edward Frongillo ◽

Christine Blake ◽

Susan Steck ◽

Robin DiPietro

Keyword(s):

Elementary School ◽

South Carolina ◽

School Children ◽

Food Choice ◽

Elementary School Children ◽

Healthy Foods ◽

Purchasing Decisions ◽

Food Purchasing ◽

Food Purchases ◽

Children's Strategies

Abstract Objectives This study aimed to understand the values held by elementary school children in constructing food choices and the strategies they used to influence their mothers’ food purchasing decisions. Methods Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 40 elementary school children (aged 6–11 years) and their mothers living in South Carolina. Food choice information was collected only from children and strategies to influence mothers’ food purchases were collected from both children and mothers. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and open-coded. Coding matrices were used to compare children's and mothers’ responses on the children's strategies to influence mothers’ food purchasing decisions. Results Children most valued taste, texture, and flavor of the food items, followed by perceived benefits, happiness, craving, following family and friends, the items’ healthfulness, preparation, and presentation when they made food choice decisions. Children reported 157 strategies that they used to influence mothers’ purchasing decisions. Mothers had concordance with 80 strategies that children mentioned. In mother-child dyads, more concordance was observed between mothers and sons than between mothers and daughters. The most common and successful strategies from both the children's and mothers’ perspectives were reasoned requests, repeated polite requests, and referencing friends. Other strategies included offers to contribute money or service, teaming up with siblings, writing a shopping list, and grabbing desired items. Mothers perceived that children had a lot of influence on their food purchasing decisions. Conclusions Children were aware of the strategies that would get positive reactions from their mothers. Mothers’ acknowledgement of children's influence on their food purchase decisions suggests that children can serve as change agents for improving mothers’ food purchases if children prefer healthy foods. Interventions are needed for mothers to help address children's strategies to influence mothers to purchase unhealthy foods and make healthy foods more appealing to children instead of yielding to children's requests for unhealthy items. Funding Sources SPARC grant and Ogoussan Doctoral Research Award from the University of South Carolina.

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Strategies for influencing parental decisions on food purchasing

Journal of Consumer Marketing ◽

10.1108/07363760410525696 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 134-143 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

Marie Marquis

Keyword(s):

Eating Behaviors ◽

Ecological Model ◽

Future Research ◽

Consumer Socialization ◽

Food Purchasing ◽

Persuasive Strategies ◽

Social Motivations ◽

Parental Decisions ◽

Four Levels ◽

The Individual

In 2002, Story et al. proposed an ecological model for understanding the individual and environmental factors that influence young consumers’ eating behaviors. The theoretical framework suggests that eating behavior is a function of four levels of influence: individual, interpersonal, environmental and societal. The objective of the study is to explore how these levels of influence may explain strategies used by ten‐year‐old children to influence parental decisions on food purchasing. A self‐administered questionnaire was filled out by children. Gender differences were observed in terms of eating environment, social motivations to select foods and use of specific persuasive strategies. The results obtained contribute to our knowledge on interpersonal influences on children’s consumer behavior and on individual differences in consumer socialization. Practical implications are presented and recommendations for future research are made.

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Lifecourse, immigrant status and acculturation in food purchasing and preparation among low-income mothers

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980007334058 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 396-404 ◽

Cited By ~ 44

Author(s):

Tamara Dubowitz ◽

Dolores Acevedo-Garcia ◽

Judy Salkeld ◽

Ana Cristina Lindsay ◽

SV Subramanian ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Focus Groups ◽

Low Income ◽

Metropolitan Areas ◽

Food Preparation ◽

Immigrant Status ◽

Food Purchasing ◽

Study Results ◽

The Usa ◽

Low Income Women ◽

Access To Food

AbstractObjectivesThis study investigates how lifecourse, immigrant status and acculturation, and neighbourhood of residence influence food purchasing and preparation among low-income women with children, living in the USA. This research sought to understand physical and economic access to food, from both ‘individual’ and ‘community’ perspectives.DesignThis study used qualitative methodology (focus groups) to examine the mechanisms and pathways of food preparation and purchasing within the context of daily life activity for US- and foreign-born women, living in the USA. The study methodology analysed notes and verbatim transcripts, summarised recurring responses and identified new themes in the discussions.Setting and subjectsA total of 44 women were purposively sampled from two metropolitan areas in Massachusetts, USA, based on (1) neighbourhood of residence and (2) primary language spoken. All focus groups were conducted in community health centres and community centres co-located with offices of the special supplemental nutritional programme for Women, Infants, and Children.ResultsAnalysis of key response themes suggested that scarcity of food and physical access to food purchasing points did not influence food purchasing and preparation as much as (1) limited time for food shopping, cooking and family activities; and (2) challenges in transportation to stores and childcare. The study results demonstrated differing attitudes toward food acquisition and preparation between immigrant and US-born women and between women who lived in two metropolitan areas in the western and eastern regions of the state of Massachusetts, USA.ConclusionsThe findings illustrate ‘hidden’ constraints that need to be captured in measures of physical and economic access and availability of food. US policies and programmes that aim to improve access, availability and diet quality would benefit from considering the social context of food preparation and purchasing, and the residential environments of low-income women and families.

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