Food Insecurity and Hunger: Quiet Public Health Problems on Campus

Food insecurity and hunger are gaining traction as recognized public health problems on college campuses in the United States. Data from recent publications and reports suggest the prevalence of food insecurity among U.S. undergraduate students ranges from 14.1 to 58.8%, compared to 12.3% of U.S. households. Undergraduate students (N=1,069) were surveyed at the University of Texas at Austin in 2014-2015. The survey questionnaire included the validated 6-item short-form of the USDA food security module, was distributed and completed in class and answered anonymously. The demographic characteristics of the sample are representative of all undergraduates on campus. Food insecurity was reported by 23.5% of students surveyed; ever being hungry by 31% and 12.5% of the ever-hungry also report being food-insecure. Importantly, most of the food insecure (96%) did not report experiencing food insecurity prior to matriculation. In multiple logistic regression models, the factors associated with a higher odds ratio of food insecurity include: being a first-generation college student; Hispanic ethnicity; third-born child or later in the family; and less confident about financial management skills. The factors associated with a higher adjusted odds ratio of hunger include: being of Asian or other ethnicity (vs. non-Hispanic white) and having limited confidence about financial management skills. The results, from one of the largest surveys of food insecurity and hunger among undergraduate students on a single campus in the U.S., suggest that transition to college is a vulnerable window for the emergence of food insecurity and hunger. More research is needed on the long-term effects of food insecurity in this population and the effectiveness of campus policy and interventions addressing food insecurity and hunger.