Unknown

Dataset Information

0

Economic hardship, ontological insecurity, and household food waste.


ABSTRACT: The experience of a downward change in one's financial situation is so common that most consumers will experience it during their lifetime, and this prevalence has been compounded by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Limited research, however, has examined the impact of economic hardship on consumers' food-related behavior. Using a sample of Canadians and Americans (n = 519; Mage = 38.4; SDage = 13.6; 46.2% female; 85% lived alone), we identify that economic hardship significantly and negatively predicts consumer food waste behavior, such that economic hardship leads consumers to waste less food. Conversely, we also identify a positive indirect effect wherein economic hardship positively predicts ontological insecurity (i.e., the aversive feeling of being overwhelmed and out of control), which in turn positively predicts overconsumption (e.g., overstocking one's fridge or pantry) and in turn predicts higher food waste. This preliminary work opens the door to future work exploring a potentially rich avenue of research on the implications of adverse economic events on consumer food choice, consumption, and disposal. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

SUBMITTER: Ghafoorifard N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9759702 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

altmetric image

Publications

Economic hardship, ontological insecurity, and household food waste.

Ghafoorifard Neda N   Mesler Rhiannon MacDonnell RM   Basil Michael M  

Food quality and preference 20210917


The experience of a downward change in one's financial situation is so common that most consumers will experience it during their lifetime, and this prevalence has been compounded by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Limited research, however, has examined the impact of economic hardship on consumers' food-related behavior. Using a sample of Canadians and Americans (n = 519; M<sub>age</sub> = 38.4; SD<sub>age</sub> = 13.6; 46.2% female; 85% lived alone), we identify that economic hardship significan  ...[more]

Similar Datasets

| S-EPMC6712872 | biostudies-other
| S-EPMC8199942 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC6445475 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC10365274 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC6889683 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC6616944 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC4592315 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC8235683 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC8783957 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC10547153 | biostudies-literature