Food Insecurity Amongst College Students and the Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic

Overview: This presentation reveals findings from a mixed-methods study examining food insecurity on a rural higher education campus. Participants will learn how food insecurity affects a student’s ability to complete their education. This study highlights the association between food insecurity, student GPA, and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.Proposal text: Food insecurity can affect a student’s ability to complete their education, which includes poor health outcomes, low academic performance, and low cognitive functioning (Gundersen & Ziliak, 2015). Significant adverse effects on a student's physical and mental health functioning has become a growing concern for college students (Payne-Sturges, et. al., 2018). The physiological needs of students facing food insecurity impact their ability to concentrate on their academics, which in return places the student at a financial aid-risk (Weaver, 2020). Many food insecure students are recipients of financial aid, which has a strict guideline maintaining a certain GPA or class enrollment. Students who lack food become tired, stressed, and start failing academically, resulting in losing their financial assistance. Additionally, the Covid-19 pandemic has increased the unemployment rate in the United States which has had a detrimental effect on food insecurity among college students (Owens, et al., 2020).

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of food insecurity amongst college students. The researchers examined the association between food insecurity, demographic characteristics, GPA, and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. In an effort to examine the research questions regarding food insecurity, the researchers examined multiple factors using a mixed-methodological approach with a quantitative emphasis. The quantitative component collected numerical data from the predeveloped instrument (Creswell, 2018). A cross-sectional research design was appropriate for this study because it collects data at a certain period in time (Creswell, 2018). The researchers collected survey data that was drawn from a sample of 44 college students. The questionnaire consisted of a modified version of the Household Food Security Survey Module (HSSM) along with 9 demographic, 9 closed-ended with one focusing on government programs, 3 Likert-Type scale personal questions regarding food insecurity, and 6 open-ended questions that pertained to the Covid-19 pandemic and GPA. The researchers conducted several statistical analyses by using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Statistical tests included a Chronbach’s alpha, Independent sample t-test, and an Analysis of Variance (AVOVA).

Results indicated there was a statistically significant difference between students enrolled in a higher education program and experiencing food insecurity as well as other potential factors. College students who are experiencing food insecurity are an important public health problem which can affect a student’s academic performance, retention rate, and graduation outcome. When students are unable to obtain food, problems begin to arise. Understanding food insecurity on a college campus can help college stakeholders understand the need to advocate for and develop a food pantry to help students be better positioned within their academic career. Encouraging individuals to utilize local food pantries was not the norm in previous years, and it was hard to get people to use the services; however, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the rise in numbers of people needing help has grown tremendously.