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Navigating Food Insecurity in Higher Education: Using the Social Cognitive Theory to Identify Key Influences and
Emily Sklar1, Rachel E Scherr2, Deborah S Fetter1
1Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, CA, United States.
Advances in Nutrition (Bethesda, Md.)
|May 26, 2025
Summary
Food insecurity is a major crisis for US college students. Understanding personal, behavioral, and environmental factors is key to developing effective interventions and policies to improve food security on campus.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Sociology
- Higher Education Studies
Background:
- Food insecurity (FI) significantly impacts college students in the US, exceeding national averages.
- Numerous factors complicate the development of effective interventions for food security (FS) in higher education.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a scoping review of recent research on factors influencing college student food security.
- To identify key influences on FI using the Social Cognitive Theory framework.
- To address literature gaps and highlight interventions for enhancing FS in this population.
Main Methods:
- Scoping review of recent literature.
- Analysis guided by the Social Cognitive Theory.
- Identification of personal/cognitive, behavioral, and environmental factors.
Main Results:
- College students face disproportionately high rates of food insecurity.
- Personal, behavioral, and environmental factors significantly shape student experiences with FI.
- Gaps in current research and intervention strategies were identified.
Conclusions:
- Targeted interventions, resource allocation, and policy changes are crucial for addressing college student food insecurity.
- A comprehensive understanding of influencing factors is needed for effective support systems.
- Higher education institutions must prioritize strategies to enhance student food security.
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