Assessing the Changes in Consumption Patterns of Households Due to COVID-19 Measures in Kenya
Kelvin Mungai *
Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Management, Egerton University, P.O. Box-536-20115, Njoro, Egerton, Kenya.
Dickson Okello
Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Management, Egerton University, P.O. Box-536-20115, Njoro, Egerton, Kenya.
Florence Opondo
Department of Commerce, Laikipia University, P.O. Box-1100-20300, Nyahururu, Kenya.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This article assessed the changes in household consumption patterns due to COVID-19 interventions in Kenya. COVID-19 measures brought about several challenges globally. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted many elements of people's lives, including their financial well-being. Households had to adapt their buying patterns and food consumption patterns to cope with the new economic realities due to COVID-19 measures in Kenya, such as a ban on social gatherings, closure of institutions, and movement restrictions through lockdowns and curfews. The descriptive approach was used in the study, which used a cross-sectional survey using a structured questionnaire to collect data from 246 households. Results revealed that household intake of meat, dairy, fruits, snacks, and wheat products decreased significantly (p-values <0.001). Findings also demonstrated a substantial drop in the frequency of shopping for pre-packaged meals, snacks, and meat products (p-values <0.001) and a significant rise in the frequency of shopping for vegetables and wheat products (p-values <0.001) and fruits (p-values <0.05). This paper suggests that policies be designed to enable city dwellers to acquire, purchase, prepare, and consume food during a crisis to provide healthier and more sustainable consumption patterns.
Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic measures, household food consumption, low-income households, shopping frequencies