(P30-053-24) Protocol for Determining Factors Related to Food Insecurity in University Students in the Circumpolar North

Objectives: Examine the food security status of students attending a large, urban university in the Circumpolar North and determine the factors that are associated with student-success characteristics

Methods: A convenience sample of university students utilizing an on-campus food pantry at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) will be recruited via flyers and email to complete an online food security survey. Those recruited via email will be emailed a Qualtrics link to complete the survey at their convenience. Whether the surveys are conducted in-person at the pantry via electronic tablet or online, the project flow will be embedded in Qualtrics using conditional logic and flow functions so that only those who are eligible and consenting will be directed to the survey. The 10-15 minute survey will include demographic info (i.e., gender, age, household size, race/ethnicity, grade-level, marital status, employment status), the US Household Food Security Survey (food insecurity), indicators of student success (i.e., attendance, GPA), indicators of service use (i.e., other services they use on campus), indicators of self-reported general health (i.e., general well-being, general physical and emotional well-being), and food preferences and/or requirements (i.e., religious dietary restrictions, food allergies). Post-survey completion, participants will be asked to enter their names, student ID numbers, and emails to track survey completion and to ensure that each participant only completes the survey once. Participants completing the survey in-person will be given a grab-bag with five items of their choice from a basket of items popular at the pantry (e.g., menstrual products, easy-to-carry snacks, university branded gear). Participants completing the survey online will be emailed a grab-bag voucher to show pantry staff so that they can receive the incentive the next time they are in-person at the pantry. Survey data will be analyzed to understand who is utilizing the pantry and their student success characteristics, directly inform our understanding of who we are serving and subsequently, how to make future improvements to the pantry to better meet student needs.

Results: N/A - Protocol Abstract

Conclusions: N/A - Protocol Abstract

Funding Sources: Selkregg Award from the Center for Community Engagement and Learning at the University of Alaska Anchorage