Risk of food and housing insecurity among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic

Social Determinants of Health and College Food Insecurity

In recent years, many students have faced economic hardship and experienced food insecurity, even as universities strive to create more equitable pathways to college. There is a need for a more holistic perspective that addresses the complexity of food insecurity amongst college students. To this end, we examined the relationship between the social determinants of health, including college food insecurity (CoFI) and childhood food insecurity (ChFI), and their relationship with well-being measures. The study sample was a convenience sample that included 372 students at a public university who responded to an online survey in fall 2021. Students were asked to report their food security status in the previous 30 days. We used the following analytical strategies: chi-square tests to determine differences between food secure (FS) and food insecure (FI) students; binary logistic regression of CoFI on student demographics and ChFI; and ordinal or binary logistic regression for well-being measures. Black students, off-campus students, first-generation students, in-state students, and humanities/behavioral/social/health sciences majors were more likely to report CoFI. FI students were more likely to have experienced ChFI and to have lower scores on all well-being measures. ChFI was associated with four well-being measures and its effects were mediated by CoFI. College student health initiatives would benefit from accounting for SDOH, including ChFI experiences and its subsequent cumulative disadvantages experienced during college.

Qualitative assessment of changes to university students' dietary intake by food security status in the context of COVID-19

OBJECTIVE

To explore how university students' dietary intakes changed during COVID-19, and whether these changes differed by food security status.

PARTICIPANTS

Six hundred students attending a New Jersey public university.

METHODS

A cross-sectional online survey asked about student intake. Food security status was measured using the 18-item US Household Food Security Survey. Open-ended questions were content analyzed and themes were compared between food secure (FS) and food insecure (FI) students.

RESULTS

The most frequently reported dietary changes for FI students were food source/sourcing (22.7%), food variety (19.7%), and food/meal properties (19.7%). For FS students, themes differed: no change (31.5%), food source/sourcing (31.3%), and health/nutrition (13.7%).

CONCLUSIONS

Students indicated dietary changes during the pandemic regardless of food security status, although FI students more frequently reported smaller, less healthy, and less varied meals. Colleges and universities can provide support through enhanced outreach and assistance during emergencies or extended periods of disruption.

COVID-19 testing and vaccination uptake among youth and young adults: Disparities by age, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacts youth and young adults (YYA) and YYA with multiple marginalized identities, yet little is known about differences in uptake, testing access, and vaccine concerns among YYA by diverse demographic identities.

METHODS

Between 2/2021 and 2/2022, we conducted a national, cross-sectional online survey focused on diverse YYA ages 14 to 24 (n = 983). We explored the prevalence of COVID-19 testing and vaccination among YYA by age, race/ethnicity, and sexual and gender identities. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models were developed to estimate associations between individual variables and COVID-19 testing and vaccination.

RESULTS

The overall COVID-19 testing and vaccination rates in our sample were high (75.99% and 69.07%, respectively). No differences in testing by demographics were found. Compared to individuals aged 14 to 17 years, those aged 18 to 21 years and 22 to 24 years were over 2 times and 4 times as likely to report receiving a vaccine, respectively. All race/ethnicity groups except for Asian individuals were more likely to report being vaccinated compared to their white peers.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings showed critical disparities in COVID-19 vaccination among YYA with marginalized identities and emphasized the urgency for data collection and research on pandemic prevention for vulnerable YYA populations.

Prevalence and predictors of food insecurity among university students - Results from the Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany

This study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of food insecurity (FI) among university students in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a cross-sectional study (n = 626) between November and December 2021 at the Justus Liebig University in Giessen, Germany, using an online questionnaire. The analysis of FI was based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). We statistically validated our data using the Rasch model. Moreover, demographic, socio-economic and educational variables were collected using a questionnaire developed by the Food Insecurity among European University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic (FINESCOP) consortium. Overall, 27.5 % of the university students are food insecure. The proportion of university students experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity (FImod+sev) is 10.4 % and the proportion experiencing severe food insecurity (FIsev) 0.9 %. Results from a logistic regression showed that students have a higher chance to be food insecure if they were not born in Europe and if their parents have a secondary or lower educational level. We further found an association between age and FI. Also receiving a student loan during the pandemic and getting food assistance increased the likelihood of being food insecure. Our results show that FI is prevalent among this particularly vulnerable population group. Thus, public health, as well as policy efforts may need to become more target group-specific in accordance with the identified circumstances and specific characteristics to avoid that university students suffer from FI.

Experiences of low-income college students in selection of health insurance, access, and quality of care

OBJECTIVE

To understand the experiences and perspectives of low-income University of California undergraduates related to their health insurance options, access to and quality of care.

PARTICIPANTS

14 undergraduate students across five UC campuses who identified as socioeconomically disadvantaged or low-income.

METHODS

We conducted 4 focus groups organized by type of insurance coverage in April 2022.

RESULTS

(1) the insurance selection process for low-income students is complicated by multiple, sometimes competing factors; (2) the lack of clear information confuses students' selection of insurance and health care options; and (3) students experiences challenges in access and quality of care, irrespective of insurance type.

CONCLUSIONS

Ensuring access to high quality care, information and coverage is critical to the university mission to support a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment, for a student body that reflects the needs of the population of California.

COVID-19 and children's behavioral health: An overview

The paper reviews the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's and adolescents' well-being. A trauma-informed framework is employed to discuss the emerging evidence of notable changes in youth's psychological, developmental, academic, and social well-being since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Children and adolescents have been uniquely affected based on their age at the start of the pandemic. Despite multiple resiliency factors, COVID-19 and its ramifications have had an adverse effect on youth in general and have exacerbated preexisting racial and socioeconomic disparities. This review concludes with recommendations for child health clinicians.

College and COVID-19: The Pandemic's reverberations on adolescents and emerging adults on campus

The COVID-19 pandemic deeply disrupted all aspects of life for young people in college. Beginning early in the pandemic, research has documented how young people experienced these challenges and the impacts on their psychosocial wellbeing and development. This review highlights patterns in identified challenges, mental health, and associated risk and protective factors. Overall, the pandemic led to rises in negative affect and emotional struggles, though the review of the literature also raises critical areas for supporting these young people. Additionally, the review suggests providing resources that focus on valuable elements of young people's experiences on college campuses; namely social support and connection, belonging, and effective psychosocial coping strategies.

Food insecurity and academic function among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A moderating role of the first-generation college student status

OBJECTIVE

To examine food insecurity (FI) prevalence among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic (April 2021) using cross-sectional design, and the moderating role of the first-generation student status in the relationship between FI and grade point average (GPA).

PARTICIPANTS

Three-hundred sixty students recruited mostly from upper-level kinesiology courses.

METHODS

General linear model was used to predict GPA based on food security status, psychological health, and bodily pain, with subgroup analysis performed by first-generation student status.

RESULTS

Approximately 19% were classified as having FI. Those with FI showed lower GPA and poor health compared to those without FI. The link between FI and GPA was moderated by first-generation student status, with the negative impact of FI on GPA more clearly observed among non-first-generation students.

CONCLUSION

First-generation student status could play a role in determining the impact of FI on academic performance.

COVID-19 and vulnerable populations

At the time of this special issue, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the leading cause of death in the United States and has contributed to millions of deaths worldwide. The world had no idea how the pandemic was going to impact our lives. COVID-19 exposed the inequities in our world and the individuals that were most impacted by it: vulnerable populations. Vulnerable populations may be defined as those living in poverty, living with disability, and racial, ethnic, sexual, and gender minorities. Additionally, as community psychologists we understand that the impact of inequities do not appear singlehandedly since as human beings we do not exist in a vacuum and there are multiple factors that create our level of health and well-being. Therefore, the idea of examining COVID-19 in a syndemic framework allows us to explore how a synergistic epidemic (i.e., the aggregation of two or more concurrent or sequential epidemics or disease clusters in a population with biological interactions) exacerbates the prognosis and burden of disease, which can impact vulnerable populations simultaneously. The main goal of this special issue concentrates on how COVID-19 had a synergistic impact on vulnerable populations and how these populations reacted and coped with these events.