Food Insecurity Among College Students at a Rural Southeastern University: Assessing Coping Strategies

Background (Background, Rationale, Prior Research, and/or Theory): Food insecurity is a major public health concern in the U.S. In 2016, 12.3% of the U.S. households experienced food insecurity at some time during the year. There has been extensive research done on the general adult population; however minimal studies have specifically investigated college students. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of food insecurity, relationship between food insecurity and demographic variables (such as gender, age, and martial status), and explore coping strategies used by students at a rural Southeastern University. Study Design, Setting, Participants, Intervention: Invitations were sent via email to a sample of 3,650 students, 18 years and older, to complete an online survey via Qualtrics. Demographic and food insecurity coping strategies questions were included to obtain information about participant's characteristics, lifestyle and experiences. Food insecurity status was assessed using the validated USDA's 10-item Adult Food Security Survey Module. Outcome Measures and Analysis: Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the characteristics of participants. Independent t-tests and Chi Square Test were also conducted (P < .05). Results: A total of 407 students completed the online survey. Majority were white (67%), female (78%), mean age was 22 years old. The prevalence of food insecurity among respondents was 33%. Food secure students were significantly more likely to have a higher GPA, P = .000. Academic year, marital status, living arrangements, and perceived current health were significantly different among food-secure and food-insecure groups (P < .05). Food insecure students were more likely to report participating in federal food assistance programs (P = .000) and obtaining food from food banks/pantries (P = .002) as coping strategies than food secure students. Conclusions and Implications: Food insecurity is a significant problem among respondents, affecting about one in three students. Educating college students on the available resources and/or partnering with community food banks and gardens to help bring resources to campus may be beneficial to help alleviate hunger and provide additional coping strategies to improve access to food. Funding: None.