RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Food insecurity is thought to be a prevalent yet misunderstood problem among college/university students. There is limited evidence regarding the prevalence of food insecurity in this population, and even less among private institutions of higher education. Food insecurity in college/university students can have harmful effects on students' academic performance and health. The aim of this study was thus to examine food security among college/university students and assess variables which may be associated with it. METHODS: Cross-sectional data were collected during October-November 2021 from undergraduate, graduate, and professional students at a large private university in Florida, United States using an anonymous, self-administered online questionnaire that included the Validate U.S. Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Six-item index and select sociodemographic variables. Point-biserial correlation coefficient analysis was conducted to identify correlations between the scores on the U.S. Household Food Security Six-item Index and sociodemographic variables. Data were analyzed using SPSS v.27 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). RESULTS: Among the 1,316 students who completed the questionnaire, 34% (n=447) reported being "food insecure" (scores between 2 and 6), with higher scores indicating more low food security. In addition, there was a weak but statistically significant correlation between identifying as a first-generation college/university student and greater food insecurity. Conversely, current employment and receiving financial aid from family were both weakly, yet statistically significantly correlated with less food insecurity. CONCLUSION: Results from this study may help raise awareness regarding university students at risk for low food security and understand certain socioeconomic variables associated with high levels of food insecurity. More research may be needed to help direct focused intervention efforts such as food assistance programs and on-campus food pantries to ameliorate food insecurity in college/university students.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Obesity is a major public health concern in the United States, especially since it has been associated with an increased incidence of multiple co-morbidities. Positive eating behavior modifications learned through nutrition education sessions are the main interventions proposed to target overweight and obesity. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine if nutrition education and hands-on cooking classes will result in improvement in eating habits and cooking skills to manage chronic disease. Methods: A convenience sample of 21 participants were recruited from primary health clinics in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. A total of eight weekly virtual lessons were conducted, which included both a culinary and a nutrition education portion. At baseline and post-intervention, participants filled out a validated questionnaire with questions related to nutrition knowledge and behavior, fruit and vegetable consumption, and cooking skills. Weight was self-reported. Statistical analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 27.0 (Released 2020; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States) and included descriptive statistics and a paired t-test to compare pre- and post-intervention data. RESULTS: Throughout the eight weeks, subject attendance ranged from 61-95%. Nineteen participants completed the post-intervention questionnaire. Results showed a statistically significant mean weight loss of 3.74 ±5.26 lbs (p=0.006) and a statistically significant mean BMI change of -0.66 ±0.86 (p=0.004) at post-intervention compared to baseline. In addition, subjects reported increased confidence in dietary habits and culinary skills post-intervention. CONCLUSION: Our results show exciting data in support of this project's objectives that a healthy cooking intervention can increase nutrition knowledge, increase confidence in healthy food choices, increase confidence in food preparation skills, and improve weight and BMI in participants.
