Socioeconomic Factors and Changes in Food Choice and Availability During COVID-19 Restrictions in Latvia

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the life of many. The study aimed to identify fragile groups ofthe population regarding nutrition during the COVID-19 restriction period. An online survey wasconducted from 26 July to 3 September 2020. A total of 1173 answers were received from per-sons aged 18–68 years living in Latvia. The results showed that food availability mainly was notlimited, although for 15.3% responders restrictions caused increased worries about not havingenough food, and 12.2% noted a decrease in the ability to eat preferred food. Responders aged40–54 noted that they ate less, and that their food stocks were scarce in comparison with otherage groups. Almost 50% of responders increased food consumption. One-fifth of responders in-creased consumption of foods of low nutritional value, especially among 25–39 year old personsand in households where the economic situation became worse. Fragile groups regarding nutri-tion in times of COVID-19 restrictions included households whose economic situation becameworse during the COVID-19 restrictions, younger people who increased food consumption to-gether with consumption of food of low nutritional value, and persons aged 40–54 years. The datafrom the study serve as an indicator that more detailed research is needed to determine whethercrises such as the COVID-19 pandemic are changing dietary habits and food availability in thepopulation.