Assessing Food Insecurity in Medical Students

Food insecurity, defined as the lack of reliable access to sufficient quantities of affordable, nutritious food and present in 11.1% of the general population, has not been assessed in medical students. Food insecurity is related to adverse outcomes for both health and academics in undergraduate students. Assessing the presence of food insecurity in medical students, a population at high risk for burnout and depression, may allow for intervention in order to improve overall wellness in this population. The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of food insecurity in a medical student population and identify potential reasons for any measured food insecurity.

We used a questionnaire that included the US Household Food Security Survey Module: Six-Item Short Form. The survey was emailed to all students enrolled at a Northeastern medical school (N=588) to assess food insecurity in the previous 3 months. The questionnaire included potential reasons for food insecurity.

The survey response rate was 22.4%. Food insecurity was present in 11.8% of these respondents. The main reasons selected for food insecurity were not being able to get to the store (33.9%), followed by insufficient funds (30.4%).

Prevalence of food insecurity in medical students may be similar to the general population. While the results of this study represent only one medical school, we believe these results are similar at other medical schools. Interventions to reduce food insecurity in this population are necessary to improve overall student wellness.