Assessing the 10-Item Food Security Survey Model (FSSM): Insights from College Students in Three US Universities

Background/Objective: Food insecurity remains a significant public health concern that negatively impacts college students' academic performance and health. One in three college students experiences inconsistent access to food, known as food insecurity, which has attracted significant research interest. This study examined the effectiveness of the 10-item United States Department of Agriculture Food Security Scale Module (USDA-FSSM) in accurately and effectively measuring food security among college students. Methods: A mixed-methods approach was utilized to assess qualitative individual cognitive interviews and survey quantitative data. An online survey was used to collect demographic data and food security status from 462 college students recruited from three public universities in the United States. Qualitative interviews with a subset of participants (n = 26) were conducted to gain further insight into college students' perceptions and interpretations of the 10-item USDA food security survey. Results: Fourteen (14%) participants were food-insecure, and 12% were at risk of food insecurity. Qualitative data revealed that students misinterpreted some of the language used in the 10-item USDA-FSSM. Participants also indicated difficulty estimating food security experiences over the 12-month reference period in the 10-item USDA-FSSM. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that college students misinterpret food security terms in the 10-item USDA-FSSM, which affects the prevalence rate determined by the measure, emphasizing the need for a validated college student-specific food security survey to inform effective policy and interventions.