How we eat during COVID-19
Every receipt helps us uncover the nutritional impacts of the pandemic in Atlantic Canada
About CELLAR
CELLAR (COVID-related Eating Limitations and Latent dietary effects in the Atlantic Region) is a research study led by the Food Policy Lab at Dalhousie University, to investigate the nutritional impacts of how we eat during the COVID-19 pandemic in Atlantic Canada.
The consumer food environment has been transformed by COVID-19, across Canada and around the globe. Distancing and other important public health measures are in place. Social interaction has changed. Families and food system sectors are facing economic precarity of an unprecedented scale and duration.
By examining Atlantic Canadians’ diets and purchasing in-depth, we can better understand how the pandemic will affect nutrition and health. More importantly, we can help governments to design economic and social policies that support healthy eating for all—during and after the pandemic.
Becoming a participant of CELLAR
Why should I join?
As a thank you for your participation, you will receive up to $120 in grocery gift cards after completing study milestones.
By joining, you can help make a difference in our scientific understanding of the pandemic and its effects on nutrition and health.
The information we collect from you will help community members, governments, and researchers to make evidence-informed decisions about Atlantic Canadians’ health, during and after the pandemic.
How do I get started?
Thanks so much for your interest!
Please stand by—our researchers will be calling by phone starting in January 2021 and throughout the winter.
Households will be randomly selected from residents of the four Atlantic provinces (NL, NS, NB, PE) with valid landline or cellular telephone numbers.
When we call, we will ask you a few initial questions to determine your eligibility.
Participants must be adults aged 19 years and over.
I’m enrolled! What’s next?
Participation in the study lasts 12 weeks. You will:
Milestone 1. Complete one enrollment survey by phone (if you’ve already completed this—thank you—first step done!)
Milestone 2. Complete two separate diet recall surveys online, using the ASA-24 Canada 2018 tool. Using the tool, you will make a detailed list of everything you ate and drank in the last 24 hours.
Milestone 3. Keep the receipts for all food and drinks that you and your household buy—grocery stores, liquor stores, snacks, take-out, vending, dine-in. We will prompt you to upload images of the receipts to our study portal, RedCAP. Your household can help, and you can choose the upload schedule that works best for you.
CELLAR Research Objectives
1
To study dietary intakes of foods, beverages, and nutrients during COVID-19.
2
To measure change in diet during COVID-19, compared to Statistics Canada data from before the pandemic.
3
To examine how food shopping behaviours affect dietary intake during COVID-19.
Contact us
If you need immediate assistance, our researchers are available by phone during the following hours:
Monday - Thursday 2:00pm - 8:00pm AT
If you leave a message, please leave your name, telephone number and we will get back to you as soon as we can!
