Food Insecurity Levels among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: University students may be vulnerable to food insecurity (FI) due to limited financial resources, lower purchasing power, and increasing housing and food costs. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and severity of FI and its associated factors among university students attending a public Portuguese university. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was designed, and data were collected using a self-reported online questionnaire validated for the Portuguese population. The study population included students from all levels of study and the assessments were conducted during the winter semester (December 2021 to February 2022). Chi-square tests were used to determine the associations between FI and sociodemographic variables. Bivariate logistic regression was further used to assess factors associated with FI. Results: From the 284 participants, 17.3% of students were classified as food insecure, consisting of 14.1% with mild FI, 2.1% with moderate FI, and 1.1% with severe FI. FI was significantly associated with nationality (p = 0.028) and the number of unemployed household members (p = 0.001). In comparison to Portuguese students, students of other nationalities were 4.1 times more likely to be food insecure (OR = 4.089, 95% CI:1.057–15.821, p = 0.041). Students in households with a higher number of members (OR = 2.537, 95% CI:1.231–5.230, p = 0.012) and a higher number of unemployed members (OR = 3.192, 95% CI:1.681–6.059, p < 0.001) were also 2.5 and 3.1 times more likely, respectively, to be food insecure. Conclusions: This study provides an insight into the FI levels of university students in a Portuguese university. Further future studies are needed to use objective measures of food insecurity (availability, access, and utilization of food) and explore interventions addressing food insecurity in this population.

Prevalence and Predictors of Food Insecurity among Students of a Spanish University during the COVID-19 Pandemic: FINESCOP Project at the UPV/EHU

“…To date, FI among college and university students has received less attention in European countries than elsewhere. To our knowledge, research related to FI among European college/university student populations is currently limited, both before the pandemic [20] and in the context of the pandemic [21][22][23]. Nevertheless, there is direct, as well as indirect, evidence that FI and its attendant consequences are present in European universities.…”

Food insecurity prevalence among tertiary students in Ghana

“…FI rate ranges between 38-34 % among college students whereas household rates were around 5-10% (12,34) and a study in Portugal indicated 17. 5% among university students and 10.1 % among households (13).…”

“…An increasing number of studies have drawn attention to the high rates of food insecurity experienced on college campuses, especially in high-income and low and middle income countries (8)(9)(10). In the USA an estimated average of 14.9% of college (11) students are at risk of being food insecure, about 38-48% in Australia (12) and 17% in Europe (13). Also, up to 65% of FI rates were reported among tertiary students in South Africa (14).…”

Prevalence of Food Insecurity and Associations with Academic Performance, Food Consumption and Social Support among University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: FINESCOP Project in Iceland

“…In any case, within European countries, the issue of FI among college and university students has not received as much focus compared to other regions globally, both before the pandemic [ 17 ] and in the context of the pandemic [ 18 ]. To address this gap in the literature, the present research, conducted from January to March 2022, aims to analyze the prevalence of FI and possible related factors among university students in Iceland during the COVID-19 pandemic.…”