Food Insecurity Among College Students with and without Medical Disorders at a University in Appalachia

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Nutrition Science
• Higher Education

Background:

• Food insecurity is a significant issue among college students.
• Diagnosed medical disorders may exacerbate food insecurity challenges.
• Understanding the interplay between health conditions and food access is crucial for student well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the severity of food insecurity, characteristics, and behaviors of college students with and without diagnosed medical disorders.
• To identify specific challenges faced by food-insecure students with medical conditions.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional online questionnaire administered to 247 food-insecure students at Appalachian State University.
• Data collected on food security status, diagnosed disorders, coping strategies, and perceived barriers.
• Descriptive and inferential statistics used to analyze associations and compare groups (p≤0.05).

Main Results:

• 67.2% of food-insecure students reported medical disorders, with psychiatric and gastrointestinal conditions being most common.
• Students with disorders experienced significantly higher rates of very low food security (63.3% vs. 43.2%).
• Food-insecure students with disorders employed more coping strategies and reported greater perceived barriers to food access.

Conclusions:

• Food-insecure college students with diagnosed medical disorders face more severe food deprivation.
• Existing campus food assistance programs may be insufficient for this population.
• Multidimensional support programs are needed to address the complex needs of food-insecure students with medical disorders.