Food security and dietary acculturation among college students at Iowa State University

The food security status of college students has a lasting impact during and after their college career. The level of food security has an impact on their diet and their ability to perform in class, and ultimately shapes their eating habits for the rest of their adult life. The Dietary Guidelines from 2010 suggest consuming at least five servings of fruits and vegetables (FV) per day, at least 20 grams of fiber per day, and less than 30% of total daily calories from fat. International college students coming to the United States to study are experiencing the same dietary changes as domestic students; however, they are also undergoing various degrees of acculturation and adjustment to a new host country. The goals of this research are to 1) determine the food security status of students at Iowa State University (ISU); 2) assess the dietary intakes of these students, specifically the total fat, fruit, vegetable, and fiber intakes of students at ISU; 3) determine the relationships between food security and dietary acculturation for international students; and 4) assess association with dietary acculturation and dietary intakes of international students. The online survey responses indicate that many students are food insecure and would like to receive information on where to go and who to talk to if they are having trouble accessing food. The majority of students are not meeting the recommended FV or fiber intakes and are consuming a diet high in fat. International students, who are less acculturated, are not consuming as much fat as their acculturated peers but the majority of international students are not eating enough FV or fiber. Future research should include developing ways to decrease food insecurity on college campuses while providing healthy food options. In addition, new programs should be developed to help students facing problems with food security, increase overall food access, and enhance food assistance to students on college campuses

Food Security Characteristics Vary for Undergraduate and Graduate Students at a Midwest University

The study objective was to determine prevalence of food insecurity and its associations with socioecological model (SEM) characteristics for undergraduate and graduate students. An online questionnaire was distributed to a convenience sample of students aged 18–34 at a Midwestern university. Of the 938 responses, 675 were complete for analysis. Outcome measures included demographics, food security level, housing, food access barriers, coping strategies, and food assistance program usage. Results found that predictors associated with undergraduate food insecurity included non-White race, receipt of financial aid, lower self-reported health status, living off-campus, employment, and food cost (p < 0.001). Graduate student food insecurity was associated with Asian self-identification, employment, food cost, no time to prepare foods, and lack of foods for dietary needs (p < 0.001). Students with food insecurity were more likely to buy cheap food (p < 0.001). Almost 50% of food-insecure undergraduates asked friends or family to help buy food. Food-insecure students were more likely to want information on meal preparation and budgeting. More graduate students were likely to know of and use food pantries. Overall, food insecurity was higher among undergraduate than graduate students. Universities should consider institutional and policy changes tailored to the separate populations to mitigate the prevalence of campus food insecurity