Healthier eating: Covid-19 disruption as a catalyst for positive change

Healthy and sustainable diets are necessary for global development goals, but people struggle to modify their eating behaviours which are often habitual and resistant to change. However, disruption can provide the impetus for change, and in the present research we view the Covid-19 pandemic as a potential catalytic disruption with the potential to induce positive behaviour change. Data were obtained from -900 USA adults, of which 44% selfreported to have made positive dietary change/s. Those who did so tended to be younger rather than older and with higher educational attainment. They also were less food neophobic than people who did not make positive change/s and placed greater importance on health as a motive of daily decisions about what to eat and drink. The contribution of psychographic variables in differentiating between groups of people who did / did not make positive changes once again show their importance in uncovering and explaining the complex factors that motivate food-related consumer behaviour. It seems this holds also when daily lives are disrupted by unforeseen events.

Automated summary

Healthy and sustainable diets are crucial for global development goals, but people often struggle to change their habitual and resistant eating behaviors. The Covid-19 pandemic is seen as a potential disruptor that can lead to positive dietary changes, particularly among younger, more educated individuals who value health in their daily decision-making. Psychographic variables play a significant role in differentiating between groups that do or do not make positive changes in food-related behaviors, even during unexpected disruptions in daily life.