Primary Submission Category: Health equity
Food insecurity among US college and university students from 2015-2019, an examination of trends, correlates, and disparities in a large national sample
Authors: Julia Wolfson Noura Insolera Melissa Laska Cindy Leung
Presenting Author: Julia Wolfson*
Food insecurity, or lack of consistent access to enough food for an active healthy life, is a persistent problem in United States (US) and has recently emerged as a public health issue on college campuses that affects college student’s dietary quality, mental health, academic performance, and graduation rates. However, there is no national data system designed to generate nationally representative estimates of food insecurity among college students and existing evidence generally comes from studies conducted at single institutions or groups of regional institutions, using small and/or convenience samples. In this study we use data obtained from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), the world’s longest running nationally representative household panel survey. The study sample included individuals (n=2,538) who were enrolled in college in any year from 2015 (the first year since 2003 in which PSID measured food insecurity) to 2019 (the most recent wave for which final data are available). Sub-sample analyses included 1,820 college enrollees ages 18-30. Food security status was assessed using the US Department of Agriculture’s 18-item Household Food Security Survey Module. We find that from 2015-2019, 11% of college students experienced marginal food security and 15% experienced food insecurity. Food insecurity increased from 2015 to 2019 (12% to 14% respectively) among students. More Black and Hispanic students experienced food insecurity than White students (21% and 26%, versus 9%, respectively; p<0.001) as did first generation compared to non-first generation students (18% versus 10%; p=0.006). Lower income students and those receiving SNAP benefits during childhood or during college were more likely to experience food insecurity (all p<0.001). Among college students aged 18-30 years only, food insecurity was slightly higher compared to students of all ages, (12% marginal food security, 16% low or very low food security). Food insecurity among college and university students is an urgent public health and health equity issue demanding a comprehensive and robust response from colleges and universities and state and federal governments to address the structural underlying causes of food insecurity and to meet the immediate basic needs of college students.