College Campus Food Pantry Program Evaluation: What Barriers Do Students Face to Access On-Campus Food Pantries?

The purpose of this study was to explore barriers Texas Woman's University (TWU) students face in accessing on-campus food pantries. This cross-sectional, survey-based study was conducted in Fall 2021. Students' use of the food pantries and barriers to utilization, including qualitative questions, were evaluated using descriptive statistics and thematic analyses. Students (n = 529) completed the survey. Despite a high prevalence of food insecurity (49.2%), most students reported never using the pantries (89.8%). Almost half of the students were unaware that these pantries existed on campus (47.8%). More than one in four students believed there were barriers to accessing the pantries, with time tissues, lack of transportation, limited food pantry hours of operation, and social stigma most commonly cited as major barriers to access. Food insecurity remains an urgent problem at TWU since the prevalence has remained high since 2019 despite the institutions' efforts to reduce it. One of those resources has not been utilized as expected, which might impede improvements in food security among students. TWU on-campus food pantries can use these findings to address major barriers by offering after-hours access through the libraries or campus police, partnering with public transportation, and normalizing accessing food assistance.

Factors associated with food security of Texas Woman's University freshmen.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate what factors are associated with food insecurity (FI) among freshman students and identify potential solutions. PARTICIPANTS: 73 freshman students. METHODS: Cross-sectional, Internet survey-based study. Fisher's Exact tests examined factors associated with food security (FS); Cohen's Kappa assessed the agreement between FI scores and self-assessment; thematic analysis used Nvivo 12. RESULTS: FI was 54.2% among the diverse students (65% non-white). Factors associated with FS included mother with a college degree (p = .018); father employed full-time (p < .001); identifying one's family financial situation as better than others (p = < .001); not obtaining personal student loans (p = 0.022). Students with FI tended to overestimate their FS status. Suggested solutions for FI included: improved finances, improved food accessibility, improved cooking skills. CONCLUSIONS: Future interventions should target freshmen who obtain personal student loans or have parents with less than a college degree or unstable employment status. (148).

Prevalence and Social Determinants of Food Insecurity among College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has increased unemployment and food insecurity in the United States (US). Prior to the pandemic, college students exhibited higher rates of food insecurity than nonstudent households. The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence and determinants of food insecurity among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. We administered an online survey to 651 students on three diverse campuses at a state-funded university in Texas, US, in May 2020. Food security was assessed using a multistep approach that included the 2-item Food Sufficiency Screener and 6-Item USDA Food Security Survey Module (FSSM). Overall, 34.5% of respondents were classified as food insecure within the last 30 days. The strongest predictors of food insecurity were change in current living arrangement (OR = 2.70, 95% CI: 2.47, 2.95), being furloughed (OR = 3.22, 95% CI: 2.86, 3.64), laid off (OR = 4.07, 95% CI: 3.55, 4.66), or losing part-time work (OR = 5.73, 95% CI: 5.09, 6.46) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings highlight the high prevalence of food insecurity among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic, with students who experienced housing insecurity and/or loss of income due to the pandemic being impacted the most.

Avaliação antropométrica de pacientes com suspeita de erros inatos do metabolismo / Anthropometric evaluation of patients with suspected innate errors of metabolism

Avaliar antropometricamente os pacientes com suspeita de erros inatos do metabolismo (EIM) e descrever a prevalência de distúrbios nutricionais (desnutrição, sobrepeso e obesidade). MÉTODOS: foram avaliados 55 pacientes de 0 a 10 anos, de acordo com os índices antropométricos (A/I, P/I E P/A e IMC/I), no laboratório de erros inatos do metabolismo (LEIM) da Universidade Federal do Pará, através de balança e antropômetro. Os dados foram coletados a partir da ficha de atendimento do LEIM. Para o diagnóstico nutricional foram utilizados os programas Anthro e Anthro Plus e o programa SPSS para a análise estatística. RESULTADOS: os pacientes atendidos pertenciam, na maioria, a faixa etária de sete meses a nove anos. Os principais sintomas foram atraso no desenvolvimento neuropsicomotor e infecções frequentes. Quanto ao estado nutricional, foi observado déficit de 23,7 por cento no indicador de peso para idade, déficit de 50,9 por cento no indicador de altura para idade, excesso de peso e obesidade de 15,4 por cento para peso para altura, e 25,1 por cento para índice de massa corporal para idade. CONCLUSÕES: os pacientes apresentaram estado nutricional inadequados, o qual na ausência de diagnóstico de EIM, os fatores envolvidos devem ser mais bem averiguados...

To provide an anthropometric evaluation of patients suspected of having innate errors of metabolism (IEMs) and report the prevalence of nutritional disorders (malnutrition, overweight and obesity). METHODS: fifty-five patients aged between 0 and 10 years were evaluated for anthropometric indices (H/A, W/A and W/H and BMI/A), in the innate errors of metabolism laboratory (LEIM) of the Federal University of Pará, using scales and an anthropometer. The data were collected using an LEIM form. Nutritional diagnosis was carried out using the Anthro and Anthro Plus programs and the SPSS statistics package. RESULTS: the patients attended were mostly aged between seven months and nine years. The main symptoms were delayed neuropsychomotor development and frequent infections. As for the nutritional status, a deficit of 23.7 percent was observed in weight for age, a deficit of 50.9 percent in height for age, and the prevalence of overweight and obesity was 15.4 percent according to weight for height, and 25,1 percent according to body mass index for age. CONCLUSIONS: the nutritional status of the patients was inadequate and, given the absence of a diagnosis of IEMs, the factors involved should be investigated more thoroughly...