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Community and Public Health Nutrition (Poster Session)

(P20-069-24) Food Insecurity Worsens on College Campuses Following the COVID-19 Pandemic

Monday, July 1, 2024
12:45 PM – 1:45 PM CT
Location: Poster Board 560
YIUNAC
Disclosure(s):
Leigh Neptune, MS, RDN: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
Amelia Sullivan, MS, RDN: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.


Objectives: This research aimed to examine trends in food security status (FSS) in college students during and following the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Methods: Three cross-sectional, independent, convenience samples of college students from one land grant university completed online surveys assessing demographics and FSS. Data was collected at three time points: September 2020, March 2021, and February 2023. The USDA Household Food Security Survey-2 assessed FSS with the two items: (1) “I worried whether my food would run out before I got money to buy more,” and (2) “The food I bought just didn’t last, and I didn’t have money to get more.” Participants were categorized as food insecure if they responded to an item with “often” or “sometimes,” and food secure if they responded “never.” A Pearson’s Chi-Square test was used to determine if FSS significantly changed over time. Statistical significance was set at p< 0.05.

Results: The 2020 sample (N=784) was on average 19.91 (± 1.86) years old , mostly White (n=681; 86.9%) and female (n=496; 63.3%). The 2021 sample (N=806) was on average 20.91(± 2.35) years old, mostly White (n=724; 87.2%) and female (n=580; 69.8%). The 2023 sample (n=493) was on average 19.97(± 1.69) years old, mostly White (n=432; 88.0%) and female (n=304; 61.7%). The first item from the FSS screener changed significantly over time with a  x2=8.62 (2) p=0.013. In 2020, 33.2% of students (n=248) were food insecure, which increased to 37.7% (n=305) in 2021, and 41.5% (n=183) in 2023. The second item from the FSS screener also changed significantly over time with a  x2=21.83 (2) p< 0.001. In 2020, 22.0% (n=162) of students were food insecure, which increased to 27.9% (n=219) in 2021, and 34.4% (n=151) in 2023.

Conclusions: Findings from this study reveal college students' food insecurity has steadily increased since the COVID-19 Pandemic. These findings justify further exploration of FSS in college students and highlight the need for programing aimed at improving FSS in college students with special consideration of how student’s eating habits have been impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Funding Sources: University of Maine Agricultural Experiment Station (2020, 2021),  USDA-NIFA, Diet, Nutrition, and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases 2020-03363 (2023)