Campus Food Pantry Use Is Linked to Better Health Among Public University Students

Research trends and gaps concerning food insecurity in college students in the United States: a scoping review

OBJECTIVE

This scoping review explores the broad body of peer-reviewed research measuring food insecurity in post-secondary students in the U.S. to identify trends and gaps to inform future research.

METHODS

Three search engines (PubMed, Web of Science, and CINHAL Full Text) were systematically searched for articles reporting on food security status in U.S. college students.

RESULTS

One-hundred and sixty studies met inclusion criteria. Emerging high-risk student characteristics include gender non-conforming (GNC) and non-binary, financial independence in college, and pregnant and parenting students. Emerging correlates include lack of transportation, anxiety, and eating disorders.

CONCLUSIONS

Prevalence data can be used by colleges to advocate for services and programs. Additional multi-institutional cohort, longitudinal and qualitative studies are needed to identify timely interventions and effective solutions. A new "rights-based" approach to food security solutions that includes nutrition and food literacy for all students is needed.

Using a healthy snacks program on a campus with limited food access: Implications for implementing a sustainable safety net program

OBJECTIVE

This study explored the user experiences and satisfaction levels of students who participated in a healthy snacks program over eight months on a campus located in a food desert.

PARTICIPANTS

Students at a suburban private university (N = 51).

METHODS

Using a descriptive cross-sectional design, participants scanned a Quick-Response code and responded to an online questionnaire. Mixed methods analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

Most participants took snacks in the morning (44.4%). Satisfaction levels were highest [Mean (Standard deviation): 6.58 (0.90) out of 7.00 = high] among those feeling stressed. Five major themes from the open-ended responses were identified: (1) Being thankful; (2) Finding snacks to be tasty; (3) Inexpensive and healthy alternatives; (4) Feeling better; and (5) Needing better and additional snacks.

CONCLUSIONS

Future research is needed to assess the long-term feasibility and effectiveness of this program and develop similar programs on other college campuses located in food deserts.

Advancing college food security: priority research gaps

Despite over a decade of both quantitative and qualitative studies, food insecurity among US college/university students remains a pervasive problem within higher education. The purpose of this perspective piece was to highlight research gaps in the area of college food insecurity and provide rationale for the research community to focus on these gaps going forward. A group of food insecurity researchers from a variety of higher education institutions across the United States identified five thematic areas of research gaps: screening and estimates of food insecurity; longitudinal changes in food insecurity; impact of food insecurity on broader health and academic outcomes; evaluation of impact, sustainability and cost effectiveness of existing programmes and initiatives; and state and federal policies and programmes. Within these thematic areas, nineteen specific research gaps were identified that have limited or no peer-reviewed, published research. These research gaps result in a limited understanding of the magnitude, severity and persistence of college food insecurity, the negative short- and long-term impacts of food insecurity on health, academic performance and overall college experience, and effective solutions and policies to prevent or meaningfully address food insecurity among college students. Research in these identified priority areas may help accelerate action and interdisciplinary collaboration to alleviate food insecurity among college students and play a critical role in informing the development or refinement of programmes and services that better support college student food security needs.

Systematic investigation of inadequate food access at a large southeastern land grant university

Over the past decade, the impact of low food security on student well-being and academic performance has become a growing concern at institutions of higher education across the U.S. This mixed methods study adds to the growing body of evidence on the association between student socio-demographic and economic characteristics and food security. An online survey covering food access, student well-being, and housing security was sent to 35,337 undergraduate and graduate students at a large southeastern land grant university. A total of 2,116 complete responses were received; a 6% response rate. The survey responses also included 176 written statements by students. The survey found that 16% of both undergraduate and graduate students had low or very low food security, as defined by a modified USDA food security measure. The socio-demographic and economic characteristics that were linked to a higher likelihood of low food security included: having a GPA of less than 3.0, having a disability, being an international student, being a first-generation student, being a transfer student, going into debt to pay for food, being a Black or African American student, having poor mental health, having uncertain living arrangements, and having no medical insurance. Recommendations for enhancing student access to food, housing, and mental health services are discussed.

Campus Food Pantry Use May Improve Daily Frequency of Fruit and Vegetable Intake Among California University Students Experiencing Food Insecurity

BACKGROUND

University students are at increased risk for both food insecurity and suboptimal fruit and vegetable (F/V) intake. Campus food pantries (CFP) have been a common intervention in response to student food insecurity, but there have been few evaluations of the effectiveness of this strategy on improving students' dietary intake.

OBJECTIVE

To examine differences in the frequency of F/V intake by food security status, and whether the number of monthly CFP visits was associated with frequency of F/V intake among university students who were CFP clients.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional PARTICIPANTS: The study population included 1,188 university students across the 10-campus University of California system who had accessed their CFP or Basic Needs Center.

MAIN MEASURES

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) 6-item short food security module, monthly CFP visits, and self-reported frequency of F/V intake (daily).

STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED

T-tests were performed to compare differences in mean daily frequency of F/V intake by food security status. Generalized linear models were used to examine associations between monthly CFP visits and mean daily frequency of F/V intake. Using a post hoc Wald test, an interaction term (monthly CFP visits × food security status) was included to the models to determine whether food security status modified associations.

RESULTS

Students experiencing food insecurity consumed total F/V 0.48 fewer times per day compared with students who were food secure (2.64 ± 2.11 vs 3.12 ± 2.01; P < .001). Among students experiencing food insecurity, each monthly CFP visit was associated with higher daily frequencies of intake for total F/V (β = 0.06), whole fruit (β = 0.03), 100% fruit juice (β = 0.01), and leafy greens (β = 0.01); however, no associations were found among the food-secure group.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that CFPs may be supporting students in need of nutritional assistance increase their daily frequency of F/V intake. Future studies are needed to validate these findings to inform investment in campus food pantries and support university students in need of nutritional assistance.

A systematic review of factors associated with student use of campus food pantries: implications for addressing barriers and facilitating use

BACKGROUND

While campus food pantries have been important safety net programs for alleviating food insecurity among college students, factors related to accessing these vital resources have not been fully researched and summarized. This study systematically synthesized peer-reviewed literature on the predictors, barriers to, and facilitators of using campus food pantries among college students.

METHODS

A search was conducted on PubMed, CINAHL Complete, PsychInfo, PsycARTICLES, and ScienceDirect in April 2023. Included studies needed to be peer-reviewed, written in English, and focused on college or university students. Three authors independently screened all articles retrieved from the five databases based on titles, titles and abstracts, and a full article review. The Study Quality Assessment Tool from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute was used to assess the risk of bias in the included cross-sectional studies. The risk of bias and quality of mixed methods or qualitative studies were assessed as well.

RESULTS

Eight studies were included in the systematic review. Students likely to use a college food pantry were food-insecure, who most often identified as Asian, Hispanic/Latino, Filipino or Pacific Islander; were first-generation to college; international students; sophomores and juniors; had student loans; were living off-campus; and were without stable housing. Stigma was the most frequently mentioned barrier to using a food pantry. Participants mentioned facilitators such as convenient location and hours of operation, access to fresh produce and nutritious and safe foods, availability of a variety of foods, friendly and helpful service, social support, and awareness of a pantry through fellow students and other members of the university such as staff and faculty.

CONCLUSIONS

Continued research must address students' systemic barriers to accessing food pantries. Campus food pantry leaders, university administrators, and policymakers need to work together to create cost-effective and sustainable solutions that will alleviate the stigma and burden of food-insecure students and provide them with safe, nutritious, and culturally acceptable foods.

A Qualitative Analysis of Eating Behaviors Among Food Insecure College Students

OBJECTIVE

To explore (1) how the cycle of food availability impacts food insecure college students' food-coping behaviors and (2) how access to a campus food pantry impacts food availability.

METHODS

Qualitative, semistructured one-on-one interviews via Zoom were transcribed verbatim. Three investigators performed content analysis to identify and compare themes among participants with and without access to a campus food pantry.

RESULTS

Forty undergraduate students from Illinois 4-year institutions with (n = 20) and without (n = 20) campus food pantries discussed similar experiences related to their food situation, eating behaviors, and use of resources, resulting in 7 themes: unique challenges of the college environment, childhood experiences, the impact of food insecurity, mental energy, the spectrum of resource management, structural barriers, and hiding hunger.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Food insecure students may use coping mechanisms to manage food and resources. The existence of a campus food pantry alone is insufficient to meet the needs of these students. Universities could consider providing additional support (ie, free meals), advertising available resources, or integrating food insecurity screening into other established processes.

A Comparison of Experiences with Factors Related to Food Insecurity between College Students Who Are Food Secure and Food Insecure: A Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND

Previous research has reported negative health consequences and poor academic achievement among college students who are food insecure. It is unknown if students with food insecurity's experiences qualitatively differ from students who are food secure.

OBJECTIVE

To qualitatively evaluate experiences of students who are food secure and food insecure with internal and external factors related to food insecurity.

DESIGN

Trained interviewers conducted in-person qualitative interviews from February to August 2018 to gain insights about eating patterns, food environment, financial situation, and ideas for addressing food insecurity on college campuses with students who are food secure and food insecure.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Students from three universities in the western United States (N = 58) who were classified as food secure (n = 28) and food insecure (n = 30) using the US Department of Agriculture's 6-item Food Security Module participated in this study.

STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED

Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using a conventional content analysis. A random sample of transcripts were independently coded to determine interrater reliability. Researchers divided transcripts for final coding and overarching themes were discussed. Descriptive statistics were used.

RESULTS

Students who were both food secure and food insecure obtained food from similar sources (eg, grocery stores); had unexpected expenses that led to financial constraints; indicated transportation barriers altered the amount or package size of food purchased; and reported similar knowledge, attitudes, use, and familial history of food assistance. Students with food insecurity uniquely reported prioritizing rent or other living expenses over food, and when funds were low, reducing food intake, experiencing a variable food supply throughout the month, or using strategies like donating plasma or selling possessions to enhance financial stability.

CONCLUSIONS

This study helps nutrition and dietetics practitioners better understand how college students' experiences with factors related to food insecurity differ by food security status. Future quantitative research is needed to confirm the coping strategies identified among students with food insecurity in this study.

What's to Eat and Drink on Campus? Public and Planetary Health, Public Higher Education, and the Public Good

Public higher education institutions (PHEIs) have a unique and important role in responding to the public and planetary health crisis-they are centers of research on public and planetary health and of learning for young people, and have a public good mission. Yet, PHEI campus food environments are predominantly unhealthy and environmentally unsustainable, and associated with unhealthy food choices and unhealthy students. PHEIs are addressing high levels of student food insecurity (FI) that disproportionately affect the most vulnerable groups. Yet, because student FI is measured as individual access to adequate quantities of food, campus responses to FI often overlook unhealthy food environments. These environments result from neoliberal PHEI business policies that prioritize short-term revenue and encourage superfluous consumption, and unhealthy, environmentally harmful diets. PHEIs need to move beyond neoliberalism to honor their public good mission, including prioritizing health, the environment, and equity, in decisions about food on campus. My goal in this perspective is to encourage inclusive campus discussion about why this change is required to adequately respond to the crisis of student, public, and planetary health, and about how to begin.

The Role of Campus Food Pantries in the Food Security Safety Net: On-Going or Emergency Use at a Midwest Campus Pantry

Food pantries are an integral part of the food security safety net and were designed to distribute emergency food to alleviate short-term hunger. Given many rely on assistance long-term, food pantries may no longer meet the nutritional needs of the typical food pantry user. Less is known about the extent college students use campus food pantries and whether they seek ongoing food support. A comprehensive analysis of food pantry use, including reach, awareness, and student satisfaction was conducted using a cross-sectional campus survey, a student satisfaction survey, and observational data from pantry logs collected from August 2020 to May 2022. During the first year of operation, 20.6% of students were aware of the pantry, 3.1% of students were reached, and student satisfaction was high. About half of users visited once, while 15.4% visited 8 or more times during an academic year. On average, students that visited more had a larger span of use (6.5 months), visited more frequently (2 weeks between visits), and were more likely to be graduate students and older. While most students used the pantry in the short-term, chronic use of the pantry increased from year 1 to year 2. This suggests need may be growing and additional policies or programs are warranted to support students with chronic food needs.