Abstract Background Fast foods, though very popular, are commonly known as unhealthy foods. However, coronavirus pandemic may have influenced on food choices of the general population. This study investigated the changes in fast food consumption during epidemic lockdown 2020. Materials and Methods This study was part of a nationwide survey having been conducted using a web‐based electronic self‐administered questionnaire. The questionnaire link was extensively distributed among the whole population both through popular social media platforms and by nutrition and health workers of health offices and medical universities of all provinces. The questionnaire included questions about socio‐demographic characteristics, changes in frequency of fast food consumption as compared with before pandemic, and the reasons for these changes. Results A total of 21,290 households took part in the study of whom 89.8% were male‐headed, and almost 74% were from urban areas. Decrease in fast food consumption was reported by 74.8%, while increase in fast food consumption was reported by 2% of the households during the COVID‐19 quarantine. Among those who decreased their fast food consumption, about 82% had completely omitted them from their food baskets. Fear of contamination of fast foods by coronavirus and increase in the number of people at home were the most and the least frequent reasons for decreasing fast food consumption, respectively. Conclusion Fast food consumption has dramatically decreased during the lockdown period in Iranian households. Though it may be considered a pleasant offshoot of disastrous COVID‐19 epidemic, the foods replaced fast foods in Iranian households and the overall health consequences warrant further studies. The result of this study showed that fast food consumption has dramatically decreased during the lock‐down period in Iranian households. Fear of contamination of fast foods by coronavirus and increase in the number of people at home were the most and the less frequent reasons for decreasing fast food consumption, respectively.
【저자키워드】 COVID‐19, lockdown, dietary habits, Iran, fast foods, 【초록키워드】 coronavirus, pandemic, quarantine, COVID‐19, Epidemic, Contamination, Health, Characteristics, General population, fear, questionnaire, Frequency, health worker, changes, material, social media platform, consequence, Result, reported, investigated, conducted, less, question, changes in, increase in, replaced, 【제목키워드】 nutrition, virus, COVID‐19, change, food, caused,