Food Insecurity among College Students Differs by Questionnaire Modality: An Exploratory Study.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Survey Methodology
• Higher Education Research

Background:

• College students face high rates of food insecurity (FI).
• Existing FI questionnaires lack validation for this population.
• Survey distribution methods may impact FI estimates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if food insecurity estimates differ between online and paper-and-pencil survey modalities among college students.
• To assess the accuracy and reliability of commonly used FI questionnaires in a student sub-population.

Main Methods:

• A test-retest study design was employed with undergraduate students.
• Participants completed an online survey, with a subset re-assessed via paper-and-pencil.
• Responses were analyzed using percent agreement and kappa (κ) coefficients.

Main Results:

• Students reported lower food insecurity on paper questionnaires compared to online.
• Food insecurity prevalence differed by 15% between modalities (40.9% online vs. 25.8% paper).
• Percent agreement for FI categorization was 75.8% with a kappa coefficient of 0.47 (fair agreement).

Conclusions:

• Survey modality significantly influences food insecurity classifications in college students.
• Further validation of FI surveys is crucial for accurate data collection in this demographic.
• Reliable FI data is essential for effective student support services.