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Dharmayani PNA, Williams M, Lopes CVA, Ronto R, Chau JY, Partridge SR, Mihrshahi S. Exploring reasons for high levels of food insecurity and low fruit and vegetable consumption among university students post-COVID-19. Appetite 2024; 200:107534. [PMID: 38825015 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
High rates of food insecurity and low consumption of fruit and vegetables among university students have been observed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and intensified during the pandemic. This study aimed to investigate food insecurity among university students and its associations with sociodemographic factors, fruit and vegetable consumption behaviours, and preferred campus programs to address these issues. A convenience sample of 237 Australian university students completed a cross-sectional online survey from October to December 2022. Food insecurity was assessed using the 10-item US Adult Food Security Module, applying the Canadian classification scheme. Sociodemographic variables, fruit and vegetable consumption behaviours, and perceptions of fruit and vegetable access and their affordability were included in the survey. Students were also asked to select the most suitable program(s) and provide reasons for their choice using open-ended questions. Approximately half of respondents (46.4%) were identified as food insecure. The proportion of students meeting the recommended intake of vegetables as specified in the Australian Dietary Guidelines was very low (5.1%) compared with fruit (46.2%). Low fruit consumption was significantly associated with food insecurity (OR = 1.81; 95%CI 1.03, 3.18, p = 0.038). Factors such as the perceived lower accessibility and higher price of fruit and vegetables were significantly associated with higher odds of food insecurity. In terms of potential programs, a free fruit and vegetable campaign was the most popular program, with affordability and physical access being the most frequently cited reasons. These findings suggest that food insecurity is associated with low fruit and vegetable consumption in university students. Therefore, transforming campus food environments and developing food policies at the university level must be considered to address food and nutrition security in university students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Putu Novi Arfirsta Dharmayani
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW 2109, Australia.
| | - Miriam Williams
- Geography and Planning, Macquarie School of Social Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW 2109, Australia.
| | - Carla Vanessa Alves Lopes
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW 2109, Australia.
| | - Rimante Ronto
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW 2109, Australia.
| | - Josephine Y Chau
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Stephanie R Partridge
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
| | - Seema Mihrshahi
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW 2109, Australia.
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Shi Y, Allman-Farinelli M. Food insecurity in international and domestic students at an Australian university 2 years into the global COVID-19 pandemic. Nutrition 2023; 116:112196. [PMID: 37672870 DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2023.112196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of this article is to explore the differences in the prevalence, sociodemographic determinants, and effects of food insecurity between international and domestic students in an Australian university during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS This study uses a cross-sectional online survey. The questionnaire contained the 18-item Household Food Security Survey Module to assess food security status. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the associations between student characteristics and food insecurity. A total of 467 students (376 domestic and 91 international) attending a large university in Sydney completed the survey between October 2021 and May 2022. RESULTS Compared with domestic students (13.0% food insecure), international students (18.7% food insecure) had higher odds of being food insecure in our sample (odds ratio = 2.02; 95% CI, 1.01-4.07; P = 0.013). Different risk factors for food insecurity were identified in these two student groups (e.g., being undergraduates and living outside the parental home, for domestic students, and, for international students, living in accommodation that provided meals that did not suit their preferences and experiencing changes in living arrangements due to the pandemic). Lower fruit intake was reported by food-insecure domestic students. Poor well-being was reported by both food-insecure domestic and international students. International students with food insecurity were more likely to use food assistance services than food-insecure domestic students. CONCLUSIONS International students experienced a higher risk of food insecurity than domestic students during the pandemic in Australia. More tailored interventions to address food insecurity need to be developed for international and domestic students by considering their different experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumeng Shi
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Margaret Allman-Farinelli
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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Lee Y, Yoon H, Kim T, Jung H. Food Insecurity during the Pandemic in South Korea: The Effects of University Students' Perceived Food Insecurity on Psychological Well-Being, Self-Efficacy, and Life Satisfaction. Foods 2023; 12:3429. [PMID: 37761140 PMCID: PMC10528267 DOI: 10.3390/foods12183429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
This study examined the impact of university students' perceptions of food insecurity on psychological well-being, self-efficacy, and life satisfaction and observed that the students' gender plays a moderating role in this causal relationship, based on a total of 491 university students who participated in this empirical study. This study used SPSS (Version 22.0) and AMOS (Version 20.0) for the analyses. This study examines the structural relationship of this causal model. Our findings suggest that students' perceived food insecurity negatively affects the status of their psychological well-being and self-efficacy. However, contrary to expectations, perceived food insecurity has no negative effects on students' life satisfaction. In addition, the level of students' psychological well-being positively influences their life satisfaction, while self-efficacy does not. The moderating effects of gender differences in this research were also disclosed. Limitations and future research directions are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoojin Lee
- Smart Education Platform, Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea; (Y.L.); (T.K.)
| | - Hyehyun Yoon
- Department of Culinary Arts and Foodservice Management, College of Hotel & Tourism Management, Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea;
| | - Taehee Kim
- Smart Education Platform, Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea; (Y.L.); (T.K.)
| | - Hyosun Jung
- Center for Converging Humanities, Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02447, Republic of Korea
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Aman Mohammadi M, Maximiano MR, Hosseini SM, Franco OL. CRISPR-Cas engineering in food science and sustainable agriculture: recent advancements and applications. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 2023; 46:483-497. [PMID: 36707422 DOI: 10.1007/s00449-022-02842-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The developments in the food supply chain to support the growing population of the world is one of today's most pressing issues, and to achieve this goal improvements should be performed in both crops and microbes. For this purpose, novel approaches such as genome editing (GE) methods have upgraded the biological sciences for genome manipulation and, among such methods, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated proteins (Cas) are the main exciting innovations since the Green Revolution. CRISPR/Cas systems can be a potent tool for the food industry, improvement of agricultural crops and even for protecting food-grade bacteria from foreign genetic invasive elements. This review introduces the history and mechanism of the CRISPR-Cas system as a genome editing tool and its applications in the vaccination of starter cultures, production of antimicrobials and bioactive compounds, and genome editing of microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masoud Aman Mohammadi
- Student Research Committee, Department of Food Science and Technology, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Faculty of Nutrition Sciences, Food Science and Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mariana Rocha Maximiano
- S-Inova Biotech, Graduate Program in Biotechnology, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil.,Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Graduate Program in Genomic Science and Biotechnology, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Seyede Marzieh Hosseini
- Student Research Committee, Department of Food Science and Technology, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Faculty of Nutrition Sciences, Food Science and Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Octavio Luiz Franco
- S-Inova Biotech, Graduate Program in Biotechnology, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil.,Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Graduate Program in Genomic Science and Biotechnology, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil
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Mihrshahi S, Dharmayani PNA, Amin J, Bhatti A, Chau JY, Ronto R, Turnip D, Taylor M. Higher Prevalence of Food Insecurity and Psychological Distress among International University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Australian Perspective. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph192114101. [PMID: 36360979 PMCID: PMC9658209 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192114101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic and related disruptions have not only affected university students' learning and academic outcomes, but also other issues, such as food security status, mental health and employment. In Australia, international students faced additional pressures due to sudden border closures and lack of eligibility for government-provided financial support. This study explored the experiences of domestic and international university students residing in Australia during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic across a range of outcomes. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between July and September 2020 at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. The online survey included food insecurity status, mental health (psychological distress), disruptions to study, employment and sleep. A total of 105 students (n = 66 domestic and n = 39 international) completed the survey. Respondents reported having food insecurity (41.9%) and psychological distress (52.2%, with high and very high levels), with international students reporting significantly higher food insecurity (OR = 9.86 (95% CI 3.9-24.8), p < 0.001) and psychological distress scores (t(90) = 2.68, 95% CI: 1.30 to 8.81, p = 0.009) than domestic students. About one quarter of all respondents reported disruptions to study and employment status around the time of the survey. When asked what government support should be provided for international students, 'financial aid' was the most frequently suggested form of support. This research may help governments and educational institutions design appropriate support, particularly financial and psychological, for both international and domestic university students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seema Mihrshahi
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW 2109, Australia
- Correspondence:
| | - Putu Novi Arfirsta Dharmayani
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Janaki Amin
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Alexandra Bhatti
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Josephine Y. Chau
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Rimante Ronto
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Diana Turnip
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Melanie Taylor
- School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW 2109, Australia
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