IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/agfoec/v10y2022i1d10.1186_s40100-022-00217-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Growing couch potatoes? The impact of COVID-19 in the light of personal values in Hungary

Author

Listed:
  • Viktória Szente

    (Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences)

  • Imre Fertő

    (Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences
    Centre for Economic and Regional Studies)

  • Zsófia Benedek

    (Centre for Economic and Regional Studies
    John von Neumann University, Hungarian National Bank—Research Center)

Abstract

The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has unprecedentedly affected consumer behaviour. This paper reflects on changes in food consumption, buying, and training (working out) habits using a representative sample of 1000 Hungarian consumers and identifies consumer segments with unique needs based on personal sources of motivation. The widely known Schwartz Portrait Value Questionnaire was used to characterize individual value profiles. Employing k-medians clustering, three clusters were identified. “Business-as-usual People” managed to maintain their daily routines. The frequency of buying local food decreased the least among them. The sedentary lifestyle of the next cluster, “Inactive savers”, appears to have been accompanied by a lower level of food intake. Accordingly, this group was possibly less subject to the negative impacts of obesity, but more in need of psychological support to avoid devastating mental health outcomes. The third cluster initially appeared to encompass “Couch Potatoes” based on their COVID-induced lifestyles. However, the analysis of the value portraits of the latter showed that they were not couch potatoes at all, but rather active and proactive “Stay-at-home Businesspeople” who may benefit from guidance regarding how to manage the increase in housekeeping and childcare, and how to become more physically active in the home environment. The results are valuable from both a scientific and practical perspectives.

Suggested Citation

  • Viktória Szente & Imre Fertő & Zsófia Benedek, 2022. "Growing couch potatoes? The impact of COVID-19 in the light of personal values in Hungary," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 10(1), pages 1-18, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:agfoec:v:10:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1186_s40100-022-00217-8
    DOI: 10.1186/s40100-022-00217-8
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1186/s40100-022-00217-8
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1186/s40100-022-00217-8?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Raul Antunes & Roberta Frontini & Nuno Amaro & Rogério Salvador & Rui Matos & Pedro Morouço & Ricardo Rebelo-Gonçalves, 2020. "Exploring Lifestyle Habits, Physical Activity, Anxiety and Basic Psychological Needs in a Sample of Portuguese Adults during COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-13, June.
    2. Hung‐Hao Chang & Chad D. Meyerhoefer, 2021. "COVID‐19 and the Demand for Online Food Shopping Services: Empirical Evidence from Taiwan," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 103(2), pages 448-465, March.
    3. Christian Elleby & Ignacio Pérez Domínguez & Marcel Adenauer & Giampiero Genovese, 2020. "Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Global Agricultural Markets," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 76(4), pages 1067-1079, August.
    4. Rodrigo L. Vancini & Luiz Camargo-Neto & Claudio A. B. de Lira & Marília S. Andrade & Ricardo B. Viana & Pantelis T. Nikolaidis & Beat Knechtle & Paulo Gentil & Luiz H. V. Piacezzi & Maria C. B. Teixe, 2020. "Physical Activity and Sociodemographic Profile of Brazilian People during COVID-19 Outbreak: An Online and Cross-Sectional Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-9, October.
    5. Jayson L. Lusk & Jason Brown & Tyler Mark & Idlir Proseku & Rachel Thompson & Jody Welsh, 2006. "Consumer Behavior, Public Policy, and Country-of-Origin Labeling," Review of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 28(2), pages 284-292.
    6. Tarek Ben Hassen & Hamid El Bilali & Mohammad S. Allahyari, 2020. "Impact of COVID-19 on Food Behavior and Consumption in Qatar," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-18, August.
    7. Kahle, Lynn R & Beatty, Sharon E & Homer, Pamela, 1986. "Alternative Measurement Approaches to Consumer Values: The List of Values (LOV) and Values and Life Style (VALS)," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 13(3), pages 405-409, December.
    8. Lucia A. Leone & Sheila Fleischhacker & Betsy Anderson-Steeves & Kaitlyn Harper & Megan Winkler & Elizabeth Racine & Barbara Baquero & Joel Gittelsohn, 2020. "Healthy Food Retail during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges and Future Directions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(20), pages 1-14, October.
    9. Jacques de Wet & Daniela Wetzelhütter & Johann Bacher, 2019. "Revisiting the trans-situationality of values in Schwartz’s Portrait Values Questionnaire," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 53(2), pages 685-711, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tomas Baležentis & Mangirdas Morkūnas & Agnė Žičkienė & Artiom Volkov & Erika Ribašauskienė & Dalia Štreimikienė, 2021. "Policies for Rapid Mitigation of the Crisis’ Effects on Agricultural Supply Chains: A Multi-Criteria Decision Support System with Monte Carlo Simulation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-31, October.
    2. Sylvain Charlebois & Mark Juhasz & Janet Music, 2021. "Supply Chain Responsiveness to a (Post)-Pandemic Grocery and Food Service E-Commerce Economy: An Exploratory Canadian Case Study," Businesses, MDPI, vol. 1(2), pages 1-19, July.
    3. Chen Zhu & Rigoberto A. Lopez & Yuan Gao & Xiaoou Liu, 2021. "The COVID‐19 Pandemic and Consumption of Food away from Home: Evidence from High‐frequency Restaurant Transaction Data," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 29(6), pages 73-94, November.
    4. Guo, Jianxin & Jin, Songqing & Zhao, Jichun & Wang, Hongbiao & Zhao, Fang, 2022. "Has COVID-19 accelerated the E-commerce of agricultural products? Evidence from sales data of E-stores in China," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    5. Minh Hieu Nguyen & Jimmy Armoogum & Binh Nguyen Thi, 2021. "Factors Affecting the Growth of E-Shopping over the COVID-19 Era in Hanoi, Vietnam," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-21, August.
    6. José M. González-Varona & Félix Villafáñez & Fernando Acebes & Alfonso Redondo & David Poza, 2020. "Reusing Newspaper Kiosks for Last-Mile Delivery in Urban Areas," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-27, November.
    7. Zvjezdana Gvozdanović & Nikolina Farčić & Hrvoje Šimić & Vikica Buljanović & Lea Gvozdanović & Sven Katalinić & Stana Pačarić & Domagoj Gvozdanović & Željka Dujmić & Blaženka Miškić & Ivana Barać & Na, 2021. "The Impact of Education, COVID-19 and Risk Factors on the Quality of Life in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-14, February.
    8. Chen Liao & Liying Nong & Yu-Feng Wu & Yu-Tai Wu & Jian-Hong Ye, 2023. "The Relationships between University Students’ Physical Activity Needs, Involvement, Flow Experience and Sustainable Well-Being in the Post-Pandemic Era," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-17, May.
    9. Beugelsdijk, Sjoerd & Slangen, Arjen & Maseland, Robbert & Onrust, Marjolijn, 2014. "The impact of home–host cultural distance on foreign affiliate sales: The moderating role of cultural variation within host countries," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(8), pages 1638-1646.
    10. Irz, Xavier & Mazzocchi, Mario & Réquillart, Vincent & Soler, Louis-Georges, 2015. "Research in Food Economics: past trends and new challenges," Revue d'Etudes en Agriculture et Environnement, Editions NecPlus, vol. 96(01), pages 187-237, March.
    11. Theresa Maertl & Freia De Bock & Lena Huebl & Cornelia Oberhauser & Michaela Coenen & Caroline Jung-Sievers & on behalf of the COSMO Study Team, 2021. "Physical Activity during COVID-19 in German Adults: Analyses in the COVID-19 Snapshot Monitoring Study (COSMO)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-16, January.
    12. Martina Schäfer & Melanie Jaeger-Erben & Aguinaldo Santos, 2011. "Leapfrogging to Sustainable Consumption? An Explorative Survey of Consumption Habits and Orientations in Southern Brazil," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 34(1), pages 175-196, March.
    13. Catherine Nkirote Kunyanga & Morten Fibieger Byskov & Keith Hyams & Samuel Mburu & Grace Werikhe & Rawlynce Bett, 2023. "Influence of COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Market Prices and Food Supply in Urban Markets in Nairobi, Kenya," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-20, January.
    14. Friederike Paetz, 2016. "Persönlichkeitsmerkmale als Segmentierungsvariablen: Eine empirische Studie [Personality traits for market segmentation: An empirical study]," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 68(3), pages 279-306, August.
    15. M. Rosario González-Rodríguez & M. Carmen Díaz Fernández & Biagio Simonetti, 2016. "Corporate Social Responsibility perception versus human values: a structural equation modeling approach," Journal of Applied Statistics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(13), pages 2396-2415, October.
    16. Matthew J. Landry & Kim Phan & Jared T. McGuirt & Alek Ostrander & Lilian Ademu & Mia Seibold & Kathleen McCallops & Tara Tracy & Sheila E. Fleischhacker & Allison Karpyn, 2021. "USDA Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Vendor Criteria: An Examination of US Administrative Agency Variations," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-21, March.
    17. Jones, Keithly G. & Somwaru, Agapi & Whitaker, James B., 2009. "Country of Origin Labeling: Evaluating the Impacts on U.S. and World Markets," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 38(3), pages 397-405, December.
    18. Tiziano Tempesta & Daniel Vecchiato, 2019. "Analysis of the Factors that Influence Olive Oil Demand in the Veneto Region (Italy)," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-17, July.
    19. Lu, Ran & Xu, Wen & Zeng, Hongjun & Zhou, Xiangjing, 2023. "Volatility connectedness among the Indian equity and major commodity markets under the COVID-19 scenario," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 1465-1481.
    20. Di Fang & Michael R. Thomsen & Rodolfo M. Nayga & Wei Yang, 2022. "Food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from a survey of low-income Americans," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 14(1), pages 165-183, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:agfoec:v:10:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1186_s40100-022-00217-8. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.