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Dr Dobrosława Mruk-Tomczak
ORCID: 0000-0002-4548-8260

Employed as an assistant professor at the Poznań University of Economics and Business, Department of Product Marketing. Her fields of interest are: marketing communication, creativity, sustainability, brand management, consumer behaviour.

 
DOI: 10.33226/1231-7853.2024.5.2
JEL: I31, I15, O52, D18

Food and nutrition practices are an essential sphere of life that impacts its quality and the perceived well-being of an individual. The goal of the article was to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the food well-being (FWB) of consumers in Poland, with an analysis conducted using a comparative method, employing the Satisfaction with Food-related Life Scale (SWFL) to measure FWB among 2687 respondents over four different periods: before the pandemic, during the first and second year of the pandemic, and at its decline. Cluster analysis was used to identify consumer segments based on the level of FWB. The results showed significant changes in the perception of nutritional well-being during the pandemic. The highest FWB ratings were recorded before the pandemic and at its decline, while the lowest were in the second year of the pandemic. The study revealed that the crisis increased consumer awareness regarding healthy eating; however, stress and restrictions related to the pandemic negatively impacted the quality of life related to nutrition for many people. The findings highlight the complexity of the relationship between health crises and nutritional practices and their impact on mental and physical well-being. They can support efforts to maintain a high level of FWB in challenging times of crisis, paying special attention to groups most vulnerable to the negative effects of changes in food access and consumption methods.

Keywords: food well-being; FWB; pandemic; food; consumer behaviour