{"id":{"repo_id":"lethbridge","oai_identifier":"oai:opus.uleth.ca:10133/6092"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/lethbridge/oai:opus.uleth.ca:10133/6092","repository":{"repo_id":"lethbridge","name":"University of Lethbridge","base_url":"https://opus.uleth.ca/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Economic hardship, ontological insecurity, and household food waste","abstract":"The experience of downward changes in one’s financial situation is common so that most consumers will experience it during their lifetime such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Limited research, however, has examined the impact of economic hardship on consumers’ food-related behavior. Using a sample of Canadians and Americans (n = 519; Mage = 38.4; SDage = 13.6; 46.2% female; 85% lived alone) I identify that economic hardship significantly and negatively predicts consumer food waste behavior, so economic hardship leads consumers to waste less food. I also find a positive indirect effect wherein economic hardship positively predicts ontological insecurity, the aversive feeling of being overwhelmed and out of control, which in turn positively predicts over-consumption and in turn higher food waste. This preliminary work opens the door to future research exploring a potentially rich avenue of research on the implications of adverse economic events on consumer food choice, consumption, and disposal.","abstract_html":"The experience of downward changes in one’s financial situation is common so that most consumers will experience it during their lifetime such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Limited research, however, has examined the impact of economic hardship on consumers’ food-related behavior. Using a sample of Canadians and Americans (n = 519; Mage = 38.4; SDage = 13.6; 46.2% female; 85% lived alone) I identify that economic hardship significantly and negatively predicts consumer food waste behavior, so economic hardship leads consumers to waste less food. I also find a positive indirect effect wherein economic hardship positively predicts ontological insecurity, the aversive feeling of being overwhelmed and out of control, which in turn positively predicts over-consumption and in turn higher food waste. This preliminary work opens the door to future research exploring a potentially rich avenue of research on the implications of adverse economic events on consumer food choice, consumption, and disposal.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Ghafoorifard, Neda","University of Lethbridge. Dhillon School of Business"],"institution":null,"degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2021,"date_issued":"2021","date_published":"2021","updated_at":"2026-07-27T20:02:47Z","subjects":["food waste","over-consumption","scarcity"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["hdl:10133/6092"],"render_values":[{"text":"hdl:10133/6092","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":null,"outbound_label":null,"outbound_source":null},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2021"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["food waste","over-consumption","scarcity"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["hdl:10133/6092"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.other","label":"Dc Description Other","values":["The experience of downward changes in one’s financial situation is common so that most consumers will experience it during their lifetime such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Limited research, however, has examined the impact of economic hardship on consumers’ food-related behavior. Using a sample of Canadians and Americans (n = 519; Mage = 38.4; SDage = 13.6; 46.2% female; 85% lived alone) I identify that economic hardship significantly and negatively predicts consumer food waste behavior, so economic hardship leads consumers to waste less food. I also find a positive indirect effect wherein economic hardship positively predicts ontological insecurity, the aversive feeling of being overwhelmed and out of control, which in turn positively predicts over-consumption and in turn higher food waste. This preliminary work opens the door to future research exploring a potentially rich avenue of research on the implications of adverse economic events on consumer food choice, consumption, and disposal."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Economic hardship, ontological insecurity, and household food waste"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:date.issued":["2021"],"dc:description.other":["The experience of downward changes in one’s financial situation is common so that most consumers will experience it during their lifetime such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Limited research, however, has examined the impact of economic hardship on consumers’ food-related behavior. Using a sample of Canadians and Americans (n = 519; Mage = 38.4; SDage = 13.6; 46.2% female; 85% lived alone) I identify that economic hardship significantly and negatively predicts consumer food waste behavior, so economic hardship leads consumers to waste less food. I also find a positive indirect effect wherein economic hardship positively predicts ontological insecurity, the aversive feeling of being overwhelmed and out of control, which in turn positively predicts over-consumption and in turn higher food waste. This preliminary work opens the door to future research exploring a potentially rich avenue of research on the implications of adverse economic events on consumer food choice, consumption, and disposal."],"dc:identifier":["hdl:10133/6092"],"dc:subject":["food waste","over-consumption","scarcity"],"dc:title":["Economic hardship, ontological insecurity, and household food waste"],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T20:02:47Z"}