Examining the influence of perceived and objective time constraints on the quality of household food purchases

Background: Obesity is a major public health concern in the United States. From the late 1970s through the mid-1990s, the reduction in the amount of time individuals spent preparing food coincided with changes in the food environment. This led to increased consumption of energy and contributed to the dramatic rise in obesity rates over the same period. Research and policy aimed at improving American diets has largely focused on ensuring that healthy foods are accessible and affordable. Although these are important determinants of food choice, time constraints also factors into purchasing decisions. Purpose: To examine the relationship between time constraints, both perceived and objective, and the quality of Americans' food purchases by income level. Methods: USDA's National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey was used to examine the relationship between time constraints (objective and perceived) and HEI-2010 score of food purchases and examines this relationship by income. It estimates an econometric model that controls for other factors that influence time resources and food choice. Results: The relationship between the perceived time constraint and estimated HEI score of food purchases varied by income level, though the relationship was only significant for higher-income households, or those between 400% and 600% of the poverty line. There was no significant relationship between the objective time constraint and HEI score of food purchases. Conclusions: Nutrition education and interventions aimed at improving household food purchasing decisions may benefit from focusing on improving time management skills and emphasizing healthier convenience food substitutions when consumers feel time-constrained. Higher-income consumers eat out more frequently than lower-income consumers, so menu labeling aimed at nudging higher-income individuals to purchase healthier options could help improve food choice in these settings.