Influence of emotions and inflation on food and drink purchase: An ethnography among Danish families

BACKGROUND: Families’ food and drink purchases are highly related to intake which affects several health outcomes. Various factors influence grocery shopping e.g., price, preferences, promotion, and availability. However, few studies have explored the relationship between these and how they are affected by major societal changes. This study aims to elaborate on perceived and observed influences on families’ food and drink purchases from a systems perspective during the inflation in 2022. METHODS: We performed an ethnographic study using semi-structured, shop-along, and photo-elicited interviews with families from September 2022 to January 2023. Fifteen families with children aged 0-21 participated in at least two interviews, resulting in 37 interviews for analysis. We analysed the data using the principles of abductive analysis. We focused on the unexpected research finding that a seemingly mundane behaviour - such as grocery shopping - invoked many different emotions in the participants. FINDINGS: Preliminary findings indicate that food and drink purchase is an emotional and private activity. The participants, for example, showed signs of and expressed embarrassment with their choices. Some participants expressed frustration, discomfort, and fear of being tricked concerning grocery shopping, while others associated it with joy, excitement, and inspiration, which influenced their selection of food items. Families experienced changing their shopping behaviour due to the rising inflation. Many faced the question of whether their regular choices, e.g., ecological products, were worth the extra cost. This new need for balancing personal values with economic considerations was often followed by negative emotions e.g., feeling like a bad parent. CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary findings indicate that families’ overall feeling about grocery shopping influence their purchase of food and drink items and that grocery shopping can be related to both negative and positive emotions. KEY MESSAGES: • Grocery shopping and deciding which food and drink to buy is an emotional behaviour. • Healthy retail intervention must account for the influence of emotions on food and drink purchase behaviour.