The Use of Online Food Purchasing Platforms and Associated Dietary Behaviours During COVID-19: a Systematic Review

The World Health Organisation reports signi fi cant weight gain was observed throughout the COVID-19 lockdowns, potentially fuelled by lifestyle changes from increased social isolation, food supply chain disruption, and heightened demand for unhealthy foods. (1) Food accessibility was considerably impacted by stay-at-home orders, leading to a rise in online food purchasing platforms for contact-free delivery of groceries, takeaway meals and meal-kits. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the use of online food purchasing platforms during COVID-19. A secondary aim was to observe any associated dietary behaviours with the use of online food delivery services and determine their impact on health outcomes. Nine electronic databases were searched. Cross-sectional, qualitative and mixed-methods studies published in peer-reviewed journals between January 2020 and April 2022 were included. A total of 55 articles were included in this review. Studies conducted in the second quarter of 2020 (April to June) comprised of 47% of all included articles. Half of relevant study fi ndings were reported from high-income countries according to the World Bank classi fi cation. Over a third (35%) of included studies had a majority young adult population aged between 18-30 years. Overall, online grocery shopping was shown to be widely adopted, with 53/60 fi ndings supporting the usage of such services during COVID-19 lockdowns. While 26 fi ndings favoured usage of online food delivery during lockdown, 25 fi ndings reported a decrease in these meal delivery applications. Two studies reported an increase in meal-kit delivery services which offer the delivery of ingredients prepared for a meal plan. Eight studies reported on diet and