This study examined the determinants of healthy food purchases before and after COVID-19 in Korea. Binomial and multinomial logistic regression models were applied to Korea Rural Economic Institute's Food Consumer Behavior Survey data from 2019 to 2021. The analysis revealed a significant decrease in the non-intake of healthy food in 2021 compared to 2019, suggesting the impact of COVID-19 on healthy food consumption. Consumption patterns also changed, with a decrease in direct purchases and an increase in gift-based purchases. Several variables showed significant effects on healthy food intake. Single-person households exhibited a higher probability of eating healthy food after COVID-19. The group perceiving themselves as healthy had a lower likelihood of consuming healthy food pre-COVID-19, but this changed after the pandemic. Online food purchases, eco-friendly food purchases, and nut consumption showed a gradual decrease in the probability of non-intake over time. Gender and age also influenced healthy food intake. The probability of eating healthy food increased in the older age group compared to the younger group, and the probability increased significantly after COVID-19. The probability of buying gifts was significantly higher in those in their 60s, indicating that the path to obtaining healthy food differed by age.

In today's affluent food environment, investigating factors that facilitate resistance in the face of barriers to health goals may be vital for achieving successful promotion and regulation of health. This study was implemented to investigate the effect of self-compassion on the evaluation and choice of healthy vs. unhealthy food. In Study 1, participants (N = 101) primed with self-compassion evaluated unhealthy food more negatively than those primed with self-esteem. As predicted, however, there was no difference in attitude toward healthy food between the two priming conditions. In Study 2, participants (N = 54) were asked to choose between healthy and unhealthy food and then their self-compassion was measured. Results show that participants with high self-compassion chose healthy food more often than unhealthy food, while those with low self-compassion chose unhealthy food more than healthy food. The implications of the findings are discussed in terms of health campaign strategies and further research into the relation between self-compassion and health behaviors.

Although wellness may represent a status symbol in some contexts, recent studies have pointed that healthy food remains largely associated with a negative social image (Stead, McDermott, MacKintosh, & Adamson, 2011). This negative perception may very well represent a hindering factor to the adoption of healthy food by a large number of people and contribute to the health and economic problems associated with high BMI. This paper investigates whether the social status of healthy food can be improved. Manipulating the number of followers on a social media account, we study how this social validation cue can stimulate consumers to eat more healthily. Furthermore, we explore the mechanism that may lead to positive consumer responses towards the message and the healthy food. A between-subject experiment on 290 individuals aged between 17 and 65 shows that the process relies on social influence driven by the influence of presumed influence (i.e., an individual’s perception that a message strongly influences others and consequently impacts his/her own reactions to the message (Noguti, & Russell, 2014)). Implications for the promotion of well-being behaviors are discussed.

Adolescence is the most important period of healthy development. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the food recognition, snack preference, and dietary behavior of 1st grade of middle and high school boys and girls. Subjects were 5,554 students from 16 schools with healthy tuck shop and 3,406 students from 9 schools without healthy tuck shop in Seoul, Korea. Students from schools with healthy tuck shop are significantly higher than control group for facility satisfaction and hygiene satisfaction (all p<0.05). For fruit, the preference (p<0.05) and recognition (attitude, p<0.001: intention, p<0.05: eating habit, p<0.001: social-environment, p<0.001: self-efficacy, p<0.001) of students in schools with healthy tuck shop are significantly higher than those in schools without healthy tuck shop. For the habit of checking the manufacturer, students in schools with healthy tuck shop were significantly higher than students in schools without healthy tuck shop (p<0.05). The result suggested that we have to create an environment in which fruits can be purchased easily at a tuck shop and to educate adolescents for the importance of healthy food purchasing behavior. In conclusion, healthy school tuck shop had a positive effect on accessibility to healthy food.

This study examined relationships among healthy food awareness, behavioral intention toward healthy foods, and actual behavior of Generation Y consumers. This study hypothesized that Generation Y consumers are aware of healthy foods and more likely to eat healthy foods while avoiding junk foods. According to structural equation modeling, all hypothesized paths were statistically significant, meaning that the three constructs in the model showed positive relationships with each other. Results showed that this group of college students is generally aware of healthy foods and have positive intentions toward healthy food choices. Therefore, university foodservice management needs to continue to improve their menus in order to attract this new generation of college student consumers.

This study was conducted to examine the effects of a healthy dietary life and purchase of environmental-friendly food materials according to a mother's lifestyles of health and sustainability (LOHAS) attitudes. The subjects consisted of 295 mothers. The findings are summarized as follows. The mother's LOHAS attitude index averaged 3.39 points out of 5 points. High LOHAS attitude items were "I participate actively in separating the trash collection" (4.16 points), and "I recycle dresses that I do not wear by taking them to the recycling center" (4.08 points). In contrast, LOHAS attitude items for "I do community service activity on the weekend" (2.57 points), and "I try to serve in the local community" (2.63 points) scored very low. A high LOHAS behavior index occurred for mothers who were "resource saving", whereas "social welfare" scored low. Mother's intention to purchase environmental-friendly food materials averaged 3.61 points. Mother's health dietary life attitude score averaged 3.52 points. When age, monthly income, and the environmental-friendly food materials purchase ratio of the mother was high, the health dietary life performance was high. The LOHAS attitude index of mothers had an impact on the purchase intention of environmental-friendly food materials in resource saving and environmental-friendly oriented propensity groups. The LOHAS attitude index of mothers impacted healthy dietary life in environmental-friendly, family and health oriented propensity groups.

The phenolic compounds which were extracted with 70% ethanol from Ulmus pumila for 12 hr were the highest as 17.9±1.0 mg/g. DPPH scavenging activity of 70% ethanol extracts was also the highest as 89.5±1.9% and it was confirmed to be high as 80% over in both of water and 70% ethanol extracts containing 50 μg/mL over phenolic concentration. ABTS radical cation decolorization activities of water and 70% ethanol extracts were higher as 96.8±2.9%, antioxidant protection factor (PF) was 2.0 PF in 70% ethanol and showed higher activities in both of water and 70% ethanol extracts containing 200 μg/mL phenolic concentration as 2.5 PF than BHA. TBARs of 70% ethanol extracts was 86.5±4.6%, it showed high anti-oxidative activity in 50∼200 μg/mL phenolic concentrations of water and 70% ethanol extracts as 80% over. The angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity of Ulmus pumila extracts against hypertension was 77.4% and 90.6% in water and 70% ethanol extracts of 200 μg/mL phenolic concentration. Xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity of Ulmus pumila extracts for anti-gout effect was not observed in water extracts, but it showed 30% inhibitory activity in 70% ethanol extracts, and 48.1% at 200 μg/mL phenolics concentration.