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COVID-19-Related Changes in Perceived Household Food Waste in the United States: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study

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  • Kelly Cosgrove

    (Radical Simplicity Lab, College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, 550 N 3rd Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA)

  • Maricarmen Vizcaino

    (Radical Simplicity Lab, College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, 550 N 3rd Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA)

  • Christopher Wharton

    (Radical Simplicity Lab, College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, 550 N 3rd Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA)

Abstract

Food waste contributes to adverse environmental and economic outcomes, and substantial food waste occurs at the household level in the US. This study explored perceived household food waste changes during the COVID-19 pandemic and related factors. A total of 946 survey responses from primary household food purchasers were analyzed. Demographic, COVID-19-related household change, and household food waste data were collected in October 2020. Wilcoxon signed-rank was used to assess differences in perceived food waste. A hierarchical binomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine whether COVID-19-related lifestyle disruptions and food-related behavior changes increased the likelihood of household food waste. A binomial logistic regression was conducted to explore the contribution of different food groups to the likelihood of increased food waste. Perceived food waste, assessed as the estimated percent of food wasted, decreased significantly during the pandemic ( z = −7.47, p < 0.001). Food stockpiling was identified as a predictor of increased overall food waste during the pandemic, and wasting fresh vegetables and frozen foods increased the odds of increased food waste. The results indicate the need to provide education and resources related to food stockpiling and the management of specific food groups during periods of disruption to reduce food waste.

Suggested Citation

  • Kelly Cosgrove & Maricarmen Vizcaino & Christopher Wharton, 2021. "COVID-19-Related Changes in Perceived Household Food Waste in the United States: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-11, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:3:p:1104-:d:487633
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    Cited by:

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    3. Haley Everitt & Paul van der Werf & Jason A. Gilliland, 2023. "A Review of Household Food Waste Generation during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-18, March.
    4. Theodoridis, Prokopis K. & Zacharatos, Theofanis V., 2022. "Food waste during Covid- 19 lockdown period and consumer behaviour – The case of Greece," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    5. Maribel Jaimes Torres & Mónica Aguilera Portillo & Teresa Cuerdo-Vilches & Ignacio Oteiza & Miguel Ángel Navas-Martín, 2021. "Habitability, Resilience, and Satisfaction in Mexican Homes to COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-36, June.
    6. Miguel-Ángel Artacho-Ramírez & Héctor Moreno-Solaz & Vanesa G. Lo-Iacono-Ferreira & Víctor-Andrés Cloquell-Ballester, 2022. "Statistical Analysis of the Long-Term Influence of COVID-19 on Waste Generation—A Case Study of Castellón in Spain," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-17, May.
    7. Eva L. Jenkins & Dickson Lukose & Linda Brennan & Annika Molenaar & Tracy A. McCaffrey, 2023. "Exploring Food Waste Conversations on Social Media: A Sentiment, Emotion, and Topic Analysis of Twitter Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-26, September.
    8. Laila, Amar & von Massow, Mike & Bain, Maggie & Parizeau, Kate & Haines, Jess, 2022. "Impact of COVID-19 on food waste behaviour of families: Results from household waste composition audits," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 82(PA).

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