Use and Perceptions of a Campus Food Pantry Among Food Insecure College Students An Exploratory Study from Appalachia

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Higher Education
• Sociology

Background:

• Food insecurity is a significant public health issue impacting college students' well-being and academic performance.
• Campus food pantries are emerging as a resource, but their utilization and student perceptions remain understudied, particularly in regions like Appalachia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the utilization patterns and perceptions of a campus food pantry among students at a rural university in North Carolina.
• To identify barriers to food pantry use and perceived benefits among food-insecure students.

Main Methods:

• An online questionnaire survey was administered to collect data on student behavior and perceptions.
• Follow-up interviews were conducted to further explore these variables.
• Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were employed to analyze the collected data.

Main Results:

• Nearly half of the surveyed students (48.8%) experienced food insecurity, yet only 17.4% utilized the campus food pantry.
• Key reasons for non-use among food-insecure students included a belief that others needed the resources more (30.1%) and feelings of embarrassment (20.7%).
• Reported benefits of pantry use included increased spending on necessities (56.4%) and improved job performance (18.1%). Shoppers favored the pantry's environment but were less impressed with food offerings.

Conclusions:

• Low food pantry utilization among food-insecure students may compromise their health and academic success.
• Increased promotion of campus food pantry services and efforts to reduce associated stigma are crucial.
• Faculty, academic advisors, and student leaders should actively encourage pantry use to support vulnerable students.