Food insecurity associated with educational disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic for college students and the role of anxiety and depression.

Objective: To test the association between food insecurity and educational disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of anxiety or depression in mediating this association. Participants: Representative sample of 2,282 City University of New York students. Methods: Using an April 2020 online survey, we estimated adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) for educational outcomes based on food insecurity status, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and degree level with weighted Poisson regressions with robust standard errors. Results: Prevalence of decreased ability to do schoolwork was greater in those with moderate (aPR = 1.12, 95% CIs 1.02, 1.23) and high (aPR = 1.18, 95% CIs 1.08, 1.2) levels of food insecurity compared to food-secure students. Results were similar for dropping/withdrawing from classes and expecting delays or uncertainty around graduation. Anxiety and depression mediated the relationship between food insecurity and educational outcomes. Conclusion: Findings emphasize the urgency of expanded food assistance and mental health services for college students.

The primacy of meeting public university students' essential needs in the wake of COVID-19: An overdue higher education priority.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the holistic experiences of university students during the pandemic. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-eight students in a public university system in New York City (NYC) purposively selected from neighborhoods highly affected by the pandemic based on level of self-reported impact. METHODS: We conducted virtual in-depth interviews from May to August 2021 and analyzed data using thematic coding and constant comparison techniques informed by grounded theory. RESULTS: Financial and social support systems, such as governmental and school resources, were critical to addressing essential needs and allowing students to persist. For those whose essential needs were met, faculty members' flexibility and students' experience with online learning were central to their academic success. CONCLUSIONS: Institutions of higher education should strengthen financial and social support systems to meet students' essential needs. Academic policies to bolster online pedagogy and faculty's flexibility can facilitate student retention and completion.