Food Insecurity Exists among College Students at a Midsized University in Utah

Savoie‐Roskos, Mateja R.; Harrison, Caleb; Coombs, Casey; Hendrickson, Jackie; Hawes, Rachel; Barney, Madison; Doxey, Jamie; LeBlanc, Heidi

doi:10.1080/19320248.2021.2022367

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…freshmen versus seniors) or between undergraduate/graduate students. Some reports suggest that experiences of food insecurity increase beyond the first academic year (15)(16)(17) but may decrease once in graduate or professional programmes (18,19) . Yet, these findings are contradicted by other studies (20) .…”

Section: Current Status Of Knowledge and Research Gapsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advancing college food security: priority research gaps

et al. 2023

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Despite over a decade of both quantitative and qualitative studies, food insecurity among United States college/university students remains a pervasive problem within higher education. The purpose of this perspective piece was to highlight research gaps in the area of college food insecurity and provide rationale for the research community to focus on these gaps going forward. A group of food insecurity researchers from a variety of higher education institutions across the United States identified five thematic areas of research gaps: screening and estimates of food insecurity; longitudinal changes in food insecurity; impact of food insecurity on broader health and academic outcomes; evaluation of impact, sustainability, and cost effectiveness of existing programs and initiatives; and state and federal policies and programs. Within these thematic areas, 19 specific research gaps were identified that have limited or no peer-reviewed, published research. These research gaps result in a limited understanding of the magnitude, severity, and persistence of college food insecurity, the negative short- and long-term impacts of food insecurity on health, academic performance, and overall college experience, and effective solutions and policies to prevent or meaningfully address food insecurity among college students. Research in these identified priority areas may help accelerate action and interdisciplinary collaboration to alleviate food insecurity among college students and play a critical role in informing the development or refinement of programs and services that better support college student food security needs.

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Section: Current Status Of Knowledge and Research Gapsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advancing college food security: priority research gaps

et al. 2023

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“…The relationship between education and health at both individual and regional levels is salient ( 1 ). In the United States, accessibility to colleges and universities has increased in the past 50 years, resulting in demographic composition changes with more low-income, first-generation, racial, and ethnic minority students enrolled than ever before ( 13 , 14 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nationally, the demographic characteristics of university students are shifting, and it is becoming more common for students to have children and work full-time while enrolled as full-time students ( 14 ). Food insecure students are also more likely than food secure students to experience housing insecurity, gain weight while attending college, partake in unhealthy diets with higher sugar and fat content, and experience psychological distress ( 15 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Food and housing security is a basic need and if students' needs are not met, then they will be unable to engage in higher-level learning ( 13 ). Basic needs insecurity among college and university students is associated with several negative health outcomes, including decreased cognition and sleep quality, increased rates of certain chronic diseases, higher body mass index, higher odds of stress and depression, more emergency room visits and hospitalizations, and higher mortality rates ( 7 , 13 , 14 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Food and housing security at a US Hispanic-Serving Institution: An examination before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Wagler

Schober

Chávez-Baray

et al. 2022

Front. Public Health

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University students occupy a socially marginal position and therefore are often underserved by academic and service institutions. This article analyzes food and housing security among students at The University of Texas at El Paso, a Hispanic-Serving Institution located in the U.S.-Mexico Border region. Findings of a sample of n = 7,633 university students are presented in the first cross-sectional, two-year food and housing security study on campus administered via platform Campus Labs Baseline. The first sample in 2019 consisted of n = 2,615 students representing 10.4% of student enrollment (25,177 total 2019 enrollment), and the second sample in 2020 was n = 5,018 representing 20.2% of student enrollment (24,879 total 2020 enrollment). To measure food security, the six-item short form of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Household Food Security Survey Module was used. To document housing security, we created questions informed by student input. In this study, survey results are reported, and tests are conducted to assess the relationships between various student characteristics and food and housing security. Student characteristics significantly impacting food and housing security are probed further using data visualizations and subpopulation analysis with a focus on analyzing factors impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Results indicate that employment status, consistent employment status, hours per week, academic level, number of dependents, and gender are all factors associated with food security during the pandemic but not prior to the pandemic. Other factors, including, college affiliation, ethnicity/race, having any dependents and being head of household, living alone, mode of campus transportation and mode of the transportation, household income, and age, all were associated with food security in both academic years. Using these results, a critical analysis of past interventions addressing food and housing security is presented with a focus on changes made during the pandemic. Recommendations are made for further data-driven interventions and future steps.

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