Food Insecurity, Associated Health Behaviors, and Academic Performance Among Urban University Undergraduate Students

Research trends and gaps concerning food insecurity in college students in the United States: a scoping review

OBJECTIVE

This scoping review explores the broad body of peer-reviewed research measuring food insecurity in post-secondary students in the U.S. to identify trends and gaps to inform future research.

METHODS

Three search engines (PubMed, Web of Science, and CINHAL Full Text) were systematically searched for articles reporting on food security status in U.S. college students.

RESULTS

One-hundred and sixty studies met inclusion criteria. Emerging high-risk student characteristics include gender non-conforming (GNC) and non-binary, financial independence in college, and pregnant and parenting students. Emerging correlates include lack of transportation, anxiety, and eating disorders.

CONCLUSIONS

Prevalence data can be used by colleges to advocate for services and programs. Additional multi-institutional cohort, longitudinal and qualitative studies are needed to identify timely interventions and effective solutions. A new "rights-based" approach to food security solutions that includes nutrition and food literacy for all students is needed.

SNAP-Ed Programming for College Students Experiencing Food Insecurity: A Qualitative Process-Focused Evaluation

BACKGROUND

Growing recognition of food insecurity experienced by college students has led to efforts on college campuses to provide students with food assistance benefits and related nutrition education. A Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) program was developed for college students as one of these efforts.

OBJECTIVE

To explore program content, recruitment, and implementation through experiences of program implementers in a novel SNAP-Ed intervention among college students.

DESIGN

This qualitative study used focus groups and a case study approach to elicit program implementers' experiences delivering SNAP-Ed to college students.

PARTICIPANTS/SETTING

Students, staff, and faculty (n = 26) implementing SNAP-Ed with college students experiencing food insecurity across eight campuses in the California State University system participated in 8 focus groups in 2021-2022.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

A process evaluation framework was used to evaluate content fit and orientation; recruitment, retention, and reach; and structure and capacity for implementation.

ANALYSES PERFORMED

Focus groups were recorded, transcribed, and coded via thematic analysis using NVivo (QSR International, Burlington, MA).

RESULTS

Five themes were identified: (1) need for this work to extend college-based basic needs services; (2) importance of aligning programming with college student context/needs; (3) common factors important for attracting/engaging the audience; (4) program barriers; and (5) training/team sharing for extending ideas.

CONCLUSIONS

Study findings suggest tailoring SNAP-Ed programming to the needs of college students experiencing food insecurity, such as integrating student-relevant cooking skills, recipes, and topics of interest. Additional intervention and research efforts may lead to a new model for serving college students with SNAP-Ed.

Prevalence of Low or Very Low Food Security in Undergraduate Nursing Students

ABSTRACT

Food insecurity occurs when there is a lack of resources to obtain food. This study sought to identify the prevalence of food insecurity in baccalaureate nursing students. Data on demographics, perceived stress, food security, and food access were collected using a survey from 201 baccalaureate nursing students. Nearly 43 percent of students reported food insecurity within the last year. Students reporting food insecurity reported higher levels of perceived stress (p < .01). Findings support that food insecurity is prevalent in nursing students. An increase in awareness, assessment, and efforts to provide early interventions should be considered.

Racial discrimination is associated with food insecurity, stress, and worse physical health among college students

BACKGROUND

Students of color disproportionately experience racial discrimination and food insecurity, which both lead to poor academic and health outcomes. This study explores the extent to which the location of racial discrimination experienced is associated with food insecurity, stress, physical health and grade point average among college students METHODS: A cross sectional study design was implemented to survey 143 students from a racially diverse public university. Logistic regression models assessed if discrimination at various locations was associated with food insecurity and linear models assessed how racial discrimination was associated with physical health, stress and grade point average RESULTS: Student's experiencing food security had an average discrimination score of 2.3 (1.23, 3.37), while those experiencing food insecurity had a statistically significant (P < 0.001) higher average discrimination score 7.3 (5.4, 9.21). Experiencing any racial discrimination was associated with increased odds of experiencing food insecurity when experienced from the police (OR 11.76, 95% CI: 1.41, 97.86), in the housing process (OR 7.9, 95% CI: 1.93, 32.34) and in the hiring process (OR 6.81, 95% CI: 1.98, 23.48) compared to those experiencing no racial discrimination after adjusting for race, gender, age and income.

CONCLUSION

The location in which a student experienced racial discrimination impacted the extent to which the racial discrimination was associated with food security status. Further research is needed to explore potential mechanisms for how racial discrimination may lead to food insecurity.

Psychological Distress and Food Insecurity among International Students at a Hungarian University: A Post-Pandemic Survey

The aim of the present study was two-fold: Firstly, to estimate the prevalence of psychological distress among international students at a Hungarian university two years after the COVID-19 outbreak; and secondly, to identify its demographic and socioeconomic factors, with special regard to the students' food-security status. A cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire was carried out from 27 March to 3 July 2022 among international students at the University of Debrecen. The questionnaire included information on demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, food-security status (six-item United States Department of Agriculture Food Security Survey Module (USDA-FSSM)), and psychological distress (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21)). Bivariate analysis was conducted to examine the potential associations between demographic/socioeconomic factors and psychological distress. Additionally, multiple logistic regression was employed to further analyze these associations. Of 398 participants, 42.2%, 48.7%, and 29.4% reported mild to extremely severe depression, anxiety, and stress, respectively. The ages 18-24 (AOR = 2.619; 95% CI: 1.206-5.689) and 25-29 (AOR = 2.663; 95% CI: 1.159-6.119), reporting a low perception of health status (AOR = 1.726; 95% CI: 1.081-2.755), and being food insecure (AOR = 1.984; 95% CI: 1.274-3.090) were significantly associated with depressive symptoms. Being female (AOR = 1.674; 95% CI: 1.090-2.571), reporting a low perception of health status (AOR = 1.736; 95% CI: 1.098-2.744), and being food insecure (AOR = 2.047; 95% CI: 1.327-3.157) were significantly associated with anxiety symptoms. Furthermore, being female (AOR = 1.702; 95% CI: 1.026-2.824)), living with roommates (AOR = 1.977; 95% CI: 1.075-3.635), reporting a low perception of health status (AOR = 2.840; 95% CI: 1.678-4.807), and being food insecure (AOR = 2.295; 95% CI:1.398-3.767) were significantly associated with symptoms of stress. Psychosocial programs combined with strategies to alleviate food insecurity are required to enhance international students' mental health and well-being.

Methods for Assessing Health Outcomes Associated with Food Insecurity in the United States College Student Population: A Narrative Review

In the United States, college students experience disproportionate food insecurity (FI) rates compared to the national prevalence. The experience of acute and chronic FI has been associated with negative physical and mental health outcomes in this population. This narrative review aims to summarize the current methodologies for assessing health outcomes associated with the experience of FI in college students in the United States. To date, assessing the health outcomes of FI has predominately consisted of subjective assessments, such as self-reported measures of dietary intake, perceived health status, stress, depression, anxiety, and sleep behaviors. This review, along with the emergence of FI as an international public health concern, establishes the need for novel, innovative, and objective biomarkers to evaluate the short- and long-term impacts of FI on physical and mental health outcomes in college students. The inclusion of objective biomarkers will further elucidate the relationship between FI and a multitude of health outcomes to better inform strategies for reducing the pervasiveness of FI in the United States college student population.

Tap water perceptions and water filter use vary with socio-demographic characteristics and are associated with water and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in university students

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this study is to evaluate university students' perceptions of tap water safety and water filter use and determine how these perceptions and behaviours affect water and sugar-sweetened beverage intake.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional; online survey conducted in Fall 2021.

SETTING

A large, public Midwestern university in the USA.

PARTICIPANTS

Seven-hundred ninety-three university students.

RESULTS

Students who experienced food insecurity, were on a Pell grant, were first-generation college students or were racial/ethnic minorities were less likely to trust tap water safety. Tap water filtration behaviour also varied by age and race/ethnicity. Students who did not agree with the statement 'my local tap water is safe to drink' had lower odds of consuming ≥ 3 cups of total water per day (OR = 0·45, 95 % CI: 0·32, 0·62), lower odds of consuming tap water ≥ 3 times/d (OR = 0·46, 95 % CI: 0·34, 0·64), higher odds of drinking bottled water ≥ 1 time per day (OR = 1·80, 95 % CI: 1·22, 2·66) and higher odds of drinking SSB ≥ 1 time per day (OR = 1·47, 95 % CI: 1·01, 2·14) than those who agreed. Students who always or sometimes filtered their tap water had lower odds of consuming ≥ 3 cups of total water per day (OR = 0·59, 95 % CI: 0·39, 0·90) than students who never filtered their tap water.

CONCLUSIONS

Tap water perceptions and behaviours affect tap and bottled water and SSB intake among university students. Tap water perceptions and behaviours in this demographic provide important context for university programming promoting healthy beverage initiatives.

Risk factors of food insecurity among students at diverse post-secondary education institutions: a cross-sectional examination

OBJECTIVE

Identify the prevalence of food insecurity (FI) and compare sociodemographic, mental, physical, behavioral, and environmental risk factors for FI among students at a private university, community college, and historically black college or university (HBCU).

PARTICIPANTS

Adult students attending a private university, community college, or HBCU (n = 4,140) located within the southeastern United States.

METHODS

Using an online survey (2017-2019), FI, sociodemographic, mental, physical, behavioral, and environmental data were collected to understand their association with FI.

RESULTS

Up to 37.1% of students experienced FI. Identifying as black, other/multi-racial, having poor sleep, federal loans, depressive symptoms, high stress, social isolation, or a chronic condition were associated with FI. These associations varied by institution.

CONCLUSIONS

FI is prevalent within diverse post-secondary institutions that serve traditional and nontraditional students with risk factors varying between institutions. The prevalence of FI and risk factors can inform institutional policy responses to ameliorate the effects of FI.

A Qualitative Analysis of Eating Behaviors Among Food Insecure College Students

OBJECTIVE

To explore (1) how the cycle of food availability impacts food insecure college students' food-coping behaviors and (2) how access to a campus food pantry impacts food availability.

METHODS

Qualitative, semistructured one-on-one interviews via Zoom were transcribed verbatim. Three investigators performed content analysis to identify and compare themes among participants with and without access to a campus food pantry.

RESULTS

Forty undergraduate students from Illinois 4-year institutions with (n = 20) and without (n = 20) campus food pantries discussed similar experiences related to their food situation, eating behaviors, and use of resources, resulting in 7 themes: unique challenges of the college environment, childhood experiences, the impact of food insecurity, mental energy, the spectrum of resource management, structural barriers, and hiding hunger.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Food insecure students may use coping mechanisms to manage food and resources. The existence of a campus food pantry alone is insufficient to meet the needs of these students. Universities could consider providing additional support (ie, free meals), advertising available resources, or integrating food insecurity screening into other established processes.