COVID-19 Changes Public Awareness about Food Sustainability and Dietary Patterns: A Google Trends Analysis

Carlos Portugal-Nunes; Liliana Cheng; Mariana Briote; Cristina Saraiva; Fernando M. Nunes; Carla Gonçalves

doi:10.3390/nu14224898

COVID-19 Changes Public Awareness about Food Sustainability and Dietary Patterns: A Google Trends Analysis

Carlos Portugal-Nunes
, Liliana Cheng
, Mariana Briote
, Cristina Saraiva
, Fernando M. Nunes
, Carla Gonçalves

Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro
Regional Health Administration of Lisbon and Tagus Valley
University of Porto

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only affected healthcare systems and global economies but also directly impacted food security and purchasing behaviors. The aim of this study is to investigate if COVID-19 has induced changes in public interest regarding Food Sustainability and healthy-sustainable dietary patterns across Europe and in European regions. A Google Trends search was performed using the search terms “Food Sustainability + Sustainable Diet + Sustainable Food” (grouped as “Food Sustainability”) and the topics “Sustainability”, “Healthy Diet”, “Mediterranean Diet”, and “Flexitarianism” for the years 2010 to 2022. Data were obtained for 12 countries in Europe. The trends in interest after the COVID-19 outbreak were forecast based on previous data. After the COVID-19 outbreak, an increase in Food Sustainability interest was observed and was higher than forecast based on the previous data. A significant interest increase in Sustainability was observed; nevertheless, this increase was smaller than the forecast increase. Mixed results were obtained for dietary patterns across European regions, yet, considering the mean interest for Europe, it seems that the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak dampened the interest in dietary patterns such as the Healthy Diet and Flexitarianism and promoted an interest in the Mediterranean Diet. Understanding consumers’ beliefs and behaviors toward food choices is crucial for the transition towards sustainable diets, and definitions of educational and behavioral interventions are essential to this transition.

Original language	English
Article number	4898
Journal	Nutrients
Volume	14
Issue number	22
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14224898
Publication status	Published - Nov 2022

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by the authors.

Funding

This work was supported by the AgriFood XXI project (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000041) co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund through NORTE 2020 and by the project UIDB/CVT/00772/2020 funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). The CQ-VR is supported by FCT UIDB/00616/2020 and UIDP/00616/2020. The CITAB is supported by FCT/UIDB/04033/2020. The participation of CP-N and CS was supported by the projects UIDB/CVT/00772/2020 and LA/P/0059/2020 funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT).

Funders	Funder number
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia	UIDB/00616/2020, FCT/UIDB/04033/2020, LA/P/0059/2020, UIDP/00616/2020
European Regional Development Fund	UIDB/CVT/00772/2020

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 2 Zero Hunger
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Keywords

Google trends
Mediterranean diet
flexitarianism
food sustainability
healthy diet
sustainability

Access to Document

10.3390/nu14224898

Cite this

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abstract = "The COVID-19 pandemic has not only affected healthcare systems and global economies but also directly impacted food security and purchasing behaviors. The aim of this study is to investigate if COVID-19 has induced changes in public interest regarding Food Sustainability and healthy-sustainable dietary patterns across Europe and in European regions. A Google Trends search was performed using the search terms “Food Sustainability + Sustainable Diet + Sustainable Food” (grouped as “Food Sustainability”) and the topics “Sustainability”, “Healthy Diet”, “Mediterranean Diet”, and “Flexitarianism” for the years 2010 to 2022. Data were obtained for 12 countries in Europe. The trends in interest after the COVID-19 outbreak were forecast based on previous data. After the COVID-19 outbreak, an increase in Food Sustainability interest was observed and was higher than forecast based on the previous data. A significant interest increase in Sustainability was observed; nevertheless, this increase was smaller than the forecast increase. Mixed results were obtained for dietary patterns across European regions, yet, considering the mean interest for Europe, it seems that the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak dampened the interest in dietary patterns such as the Healthy Diet and Flexitarianism and promoted an interest in the Mediterranean Diet. Understanding consumers{\textquoteright} beliefs and behaviors toward food choices is crucial for the transition towards sustainable diets, and definitions of educational and behavioral interventions are essential to this transition.",

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COVID-19 Changes Public Awareness about Food Sustainability and Dietary Patterns: A Google Trends Analysis

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

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