Toward a deeper understanding of food insecurity among college students: examining associations with emotional eating and biological sex

Objective The present study sought to extend our understanding of food insecurity among college students, including aims to replicate the high prevalence of food insecurity among college student samples, examine the food insecurity - emotional eating association, and determine whether biological sex moderates this association. Participants Participants included 232 students (82.3% female; 83.2% Caucasian) enrolled at a U.S. university. Methods Participants completed the Household Food Security Survey Module: Short Form and Emotional Eating Scale as part of a larger study. Results Of the participants, 37.5% reported food insecurity. Food insecurity was positively associated with emotional eating (B = 1.35, 95% CI[0.24, 2.48]), controlling for body mass index (BMI). The association was stronger for males (95% CI[1.07, 6.54]) than females (95% CI[-0.29, 2.07]). Conclusions College students, particularly males, who experience food insecurity may be at greater risk for emotional eating. Future research should investigate risk factors linked to both food insecurity and emotional eating among college students.