Food insecurity, diet and mental distress among resource insecure students during COVID-19

Abstract

It is well documented that college student populations are vulnerable to food insecurity and other adverse environmental conditions. Additionally, exposure to environmental adversity can have deleterious, long-term effects on physical and mental health. This study applies evolutionary life history theory to examine the relationship between environmental adversity, mental distress, and diet among resource insecure university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Structured and semi-structured surveys were used to assess perceptions of environmental adversity (including mortality risk, food insecurity, and resource availability; and changes in these over the course of COVID-19), mental distress, diet, and use of campus support services. Participants included 51 college students recruited through an economic crisis response center located at a large public university in southern California. Most students were experiencing mental distress and food insecurity, and food insecurity and other components of adversity increased during COVID-19. Food insecurity was significantly associated with both perceived extrinsic mortality risk and mental distress, whereas mental distress was significantly associated with reduced dietary quality and caloric intake. Use of two or more campus support resources and/or living with family or rent-free disrupted the associations of food insecurity with extrinsic mortality risk and mental distress. This study contributes to a growing body of applied evolutionary frameworks concerned with the health and wellbeing of economically vulnerable populations. It also provides novel insights – informed by life history theory – into interventions and recommendations for improving support services for financially insecure college students.

Investigating the linkages between food insecurity, psychological distress, and poor sleep outcomes among U.S. college students

“…Indeed, Roulette and Kopels (2023) found that current levels of FI are linked with perceptions of extrinsic mortality risk among economically vulnerable college students. In addition, among a sample of U.S. students, FI and extrinsic mortality risk are associated with greater mental distress (Kopels & Roulette, 2023), and less self‐reported effort put forth to maintain long‐term economic well‐being (Roulette & Kopels, 2023).…”

“…Similar results have been documented across several studies, which show that FI students are more vulnerable to sleep issues, such as: (1) trouble falling asleep and staying asleep (Nagata et al, 2019), (2) fewer days with enough sleep (Martinez et al, 2019), and (3) daytime fatigue or sleepiness (Becerra et al, 2020). Alongside poor sleep, studies link FI to deleterious mental health, specifically: anxiety (Nagata et al, 2019), depression (Payne‐Sturges et al, 2018), psychological distress (Becerra et al, 2020; Kopels & Roulette, 2023), and suicidal ideation (Nagata et al, 2019). Taken together, this strongly suggests that FI college students are a vulnerable population more likely to experience poor sleep and mental health issues that put long‐term health at risk.…”

“…Among U.S. college students, FI is often associated with: (1) economic instability (Haskett et al, 2020; Kopels & Roulette, 2023), (2) ethnicity (Chaparro et al, 2009; Reeder et al, 2020), and (3) being a recipient of financial aid (Martinez et al, 2018; Soldavini et al, 2019). Given that FI is a structural issue largely outside of individual control, these associations are not surprising.…”

Health professional students at the University of Illinois Chicago (HOLISTIC) Cohort study: Prevalence of mental health and lifestyle behaviors effects among health professional students during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Less is known about food insecurity and decreased intake of fruits and vegetables within health professional students. 30 Exercise frequency and type. Physical activity is essential to improve and/or maintain physical and mental health and enhance quality of life.…”

Students’ psychological state and its associated factors during an outbreak of COVID-19 in Pakistan: a web-based survey

“…Additionally many family members including parents have lost their employment or are facing pay cuts in the wake of this pandemic (Prior, de Heer, & Maas, 2023;Son, Hegde, Smith, Wang, & Sasangohar, 2020). A study also reported that financial insecurity and prolonged joblessness are strongly related with increased rates of mental distress among university students (Khoury-Malhame, Rizk, Joukayem, Rechdan, & Sawma, 2023;Kopels & Roulette, 2023;Salman et al, 2022). Moreover, having chronically ill family members (parents or relatives) also raised their distress (S€ og€ ut, Dolu, & Cang€ ol, 2021) and added to financial burden.…”