Impact of the economic crisis on food consumption of Sri Lankans: An online cross-sectional survey

AimsThis study investigated how the economic crisis has changed Sri Lankans' food consumption.MethodsA web-based cross-sectional survey was carried out in the month of July 2022, using an e-questionnaire based on Google Forms. The questionnaire assessed respondents' socio-demographics, food consumption, and dietary patterns before and during the economic crisis. The changes were compared using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics.ResultsA total of 1095 respondents, aged ≥18 years were included in the survey. There was a significant reduction in the average consumption of main meals per day during the economic crisis (pre: 3.09 ± 0.42, post: 2.82 ± 0.47; P ConclusionSri Lankans' food consumption have been adversely altered due to the country's economic crisis. There has been an overall reduction in the amount and frequency of intake of many common food items