Food insecurity is an issue affecting many American college students. While hunger in the United States affects all age groups, food insecurity seems to be especially prevalent among students. Studies have found that students of color are disproportionately affected. Students are uniquely affected by food insecurity, as this period of time is credited as, most likely, one's first time living away from home. The rising cost of education is another driver of food insecurity among students. Although student food insecurity is not usually discussed in terms of famine, it is part of the broader study of hunger and access to adequate food. Experiencing a period of chronic hunger can impact a student's mental health, and can lead to lower academic performance. Measures taken to alleviate hunger among students includes the establishment of food pantries in several US universities.
Causes Students tend to not have the means to afford items, especially first year students. They are "uniquely" vulnerable to food insecurity as they transition from a state of dependency (often being looked after by parents) to autonomy. Additionally, the costs involved with higher education have been rising, in some cases faster than peoples ability to pay.
When entering college, many students are leaving their homes and managing their own finances for the very first time in their lives. Depending on where they go to school, there may be limited access to affordable and nutritious food, such as in food deserts, making students particularly vulnerable to food insecurity. Students are often forced to choose between expensive textbooks and school materials and food, leaving many students hungry. Hunger can distract students from focusing, leading to decreased academic performance, longer time than usual to graduate, and higher rates of depression. Furthermore, familial financial hardship, ever-rising costs of tuition and housing, and lack of sufficient financial aid –which can be attributed to recent major cuts in states’ budgets for public universities and lack of federal aid –have made food insecurity an increasingly common experience among college students. In fact, a study on hunger in US colleges done at the University of California took data from 2006 to 2016 showed that 40% of students experienced food insecurity.
According to a study done by sociologist Katharine Broton at the University of Massachusetts Boston, 27% of students had skipped meals because of food insecurity and 6% did not eat for 1 to 2 days because of limitations such as being in a food desert.
A study done by researcher Danielle Gallegods used the USDA Food Security Module (FFSM) on 810 students at the Metropolitan University in Brisbane, Australia. The findings revealed that one out of every four students experiences food insecurity, which is twice the previously reported rate for university students and five times that of the general population. Factors contributing to food insecurity included low income, reliance on government aid, and housing accommodations. Students from food- insecure households were twice as likely to rate their overall health as fair or poor and three times as likely to have to postpone their studies due to financial constraints. Additionally, at least 80% of these students reported that their academic performance was affected.
According to a study done by researcher Jaapna Dhillion, L. Katrina Diaz Rosa, Kaitlyn J. Aldaz, and their peers at the University of California, student’s perceptions of available food in the area caused them to have a higher risk of malnutrition and bad eating habits.
Historic injustices based on racial categories have led to students of color having the less resources as their peers. Government officials targeted low-income and multiethnic communities as locations of toxic waste facilities, further labeling the community as undesirable and making it harder for residents to obtain greater opportunities. Many of the students in community colleges that are food insecure have experienced racial inequality, lack of healthcare and social services, inadequate housing poverty and other economic barriers. All of the obstacles prevent students from going to a private institution that has more alternatives to combating food insecurity. The demographics of community colleges play a major role in the high percentages of students facing food scarcity.
Prevalence Food insecurity prevalence was found to be 43.5% in a systematic review of food insecurity among US students in higher education. This prevalence of food insecurity is over twice as high as that reported in United States national households. Data have been collected to estimate prevalence both nationally as well as at specific institutions (two and four year colleges). For example, an Oregon university reported that 59% of their college students experienced food insecurity. where as in a correlational study conducted at the University of Hawaii at Manoa found that 21-24% of their undergraduate students were food-insecure or at risk of food insecurity. Data from a large southwestern university show that 32% of college freshmen, who lived in residence halls, self-reported inconsistent access to food in the past month. According to a 2011 survey of the City University of New York (CUNY) undergraduates, about two in five students reported being food insecure.
Demographics A study done by professor of Public Health and author Nicholas Freudenberg examines the demographics of students who may be more likely to be affected by food insecurity. It's been found in a study conducted at the City University of New York that students of color are more likely to be affected by food insecurities. Researchers believe that growing rates of food insecurity in college students are due to an increasing population of low-income college students, higher tuition and insufficient financial assistance. According to a correlational study examining the undergraduate student population from universities in Illinois, African American students were more likely to report being very-low food secure compared to other racial groups. Similarly, the aforementioned study from the University of Hawaii at Manoa found that their undergraduate students, who identified as Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, Filipinos, and mixed-race, were more likely to be at increased risk of food insecurity compared to Japanese students. In the City University of New York (CUNY), Black and Latino students were 1.5 times more likely to experience food insecurity than White and Asian students. Being a first generation student is another demographic that has been related to increased risk of food insecurity. Other demographics studied at the University of Alabama that have been found to increase risk of food insecurity in college students include receiving financial aid, being financially independent, and being employed. Researchers have speculated that students who live at home with their family are less likely to be food insecure, due to spending less on housing expenditures.
A study done by policy studies professor and president of California State University, Sacramento, J. Luke Wood, found that for White and Asian students, having a low income (defined as $30,000 or less) was a notable factor associated with food insecurity, moreover, white students within this income bracket had an 82% higher likelihood of experiencing food insecurity and Asian students had a 158% higher likelihood. Contrastingly, income was not found to be a big indicator of food insecurity in Black, Latino and multiethnic students. The study additionally concluded that community colleges were far more likely to have a higher percentage of students experiencing food insecurity. Community colleges have a higher percentage of low-income students and students of color.
Effects There have been multiple studies regarding the effects that University food deserts have on students. A study conducted by researchers Jaapna Dhillion, L. Katrina Diaz Rios, Kaitlyn J. Aldaz, and their peers, looked into the perception of first-year minority students attending a school in a food desert at the University of California. The aim of the study was to see how the eating habits of the students were affected by their understanding of healthy food access. They found that students expressed they had trouble with the adequacy, meaning variety and quality, acceptability with their familiarity and preferences, affordability and accessibility. The study shows that students were unable to have access to healthy, affordable meals, leaving them with limited options.
Another study was conducted at the University of Alabama by sociologist and author Katharine Broton discusses full time returning students and their food security. 14% of students surveyed expressed that they had low or very low food security and an additional 20% had marginal food security. The scale that was identified for the specific study showed that marginal food security included anxiety over food sufficiency and shortage of food, low food security had reports of reduced quality, variety, or desirability of diet, and very low food security which showed “reports of multiple indications of disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake”.
Mental health College students struggling with access to food are more likely to experience issues with mental health. According to a correlational study examining college freshmen living in residence halls from a large southwestern university, students who were food-insecure, were more likely to self-report higher levels of depression and anxiety, compared to food-secure students. When there isn’t enough food in the body for an extended period amount of time, the student would become fatigued and could experience anxiety, interfering with their concentration in class. It could also lead to lower brain function and can cause emotional distress. When a student is food-insecure, they struggle to have enough money to buy food, leading them to have to settle with unhealthy and improper meals because it’s cheaper. But these meals would probably be highly processed foods which would not only make them physically sick after being consumed for a prolonged amount of time but affect them mentally too.
Academic performance