Obstacles to food security, food pantry use, and educational success among university students: a mixed methods approach.

Purpose. This study contrasts views of university students with very low or high food security scores with respect to: obstacles to healthy eating, food pantry use, and managing dietary and educational needs. Method. Comments on open-ended survey questions (n = 1374) were counted, compared, and thematically analyzed to discern differences between the two student groups. Results. Cost concerns were paramount among students with very low food security scores. Students with very low food security experienced significant challenges in reconciling dietary needs and long-term educational goals; this was not problematic among students with high food security. Students from both very low and high food security groups mostly expressed an openness to the campus food pantry, though stigma associated with its use remained a deterrent. Conclusion. While all students face similar challenges to healthy eating, food security status substantially shapes dietary health and the management of dietary and educational needs.

University student food insecurity and academic performance.

Objective: Characterize the prevalence and dimensions of student food insecurity and the associations with academic performance. Participants: An online survey was distributed (November 2017) to 13,897 undergraduates at a midsized, New Jersey Public University; 2,055 (15%) responded. Methods: Demographic, behavioral, and food security data from University IT services, and the survey were combined in a single dataset. The USDA food security index was adapted to assess food insecurity. Results: Forty-eight percent of students were food insecure. Odds were higher for: women, African Americans, Hispanics, students with partial or no meal plan, commuters, and students receiving financial assistance. Food insecurity increased the odds of being among the lower 10% GPA and reduced the odds of being among the upper 10% GPA. Conclusions: Food insecurity among university students is high and is associated with academic performance. Understanding the mechanisms underlying this relationship is essential to design programs to address this problem.