Evaluation of Food Insecurity Programs on Campus: A Scoping Review

Although the prevalence of food insecurity among higher education students is consistently higher than the general population, and some support is available, the extent to which programs developed to address food insecurity help students in higher education institutions remains unclear.

This scoping review aimed to comprehensively synthesize the existing evidence on campus-based programs in addressing food insecurity in higher education institutions.

A search was conducted on December 5, 2023, in the electronic databases PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, and Scopus to identify food insecurity programs for students attending higher education institutions. Peer-reviewed articles written in English and published between January 1, 2003, and December 5, 2023, that met the inclusion criteria were included. There were no restrictions on study designs. Identified studies were screened in 2 stages, and data were independently extracted.

Thirty-three studies were included in this review, with most programs implemented in the United States. A wide range of programs were found, grouped into 2 categories: food assistance (ie, direct provision of food or financial resources to access food) and support services and resources (ie, food-related courses and health professional services). One-third of studies illustrated student engagement in the development and/or implementation process. Outcomes related to the programs included the prevalence of food insecurity status, diet- and food-related outcomes, and student perceptions, awareness, and utilization of the programs. Although half of the included studies reported the prevalence of food insecurity, only 5 studies evaluated whether the program led to an improvement in food security status among students. Barriers to (n = 30) and facilitators of (n = 24) programs were identified by students and other stakeholders who were directly involved in the programs.

Although this scoping review identified a wide range of campus-based programs to address food insecurity in higher education students, there is relatively limited evidence available on to what extent the programs improve food security levels. Identifying factors that hinder or facilitate campus-based programs from various stakeholders can help inform researchers and policymakers in planning and developing food insecurity programs, particularly at the higher education level.