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College-Level Nutrition Course Improves Factors Related to Food Security
Emily Sklar1, Rachel E Scherr2, Cassandra J Nguyen3
1Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA.
Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior
|February 11, 2026
Summary
A college nutrition course improved students' nutrition knowledge and positively impacted food agency factors. This suggests existing courses can enhance food security skills in higher education settings.
Area of Science:
- Nutrition Education
- Public Health
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Food agency, encompassing an individual's control over their food environment, is crucial for well-being.
- Understanding the impact of formal education on food agency is essential for developing effective public health interventions.
- College-level nutrition courses offer a potential avenue to influence students' knowledge and behaviors related to food.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effect of a college-level nutrition course on students' nutrition knowledge and food agency.
- To examine the relationship between improved nutrition knowledge and specific indicators of food agency, such as money expenditure and coping strategies.
- To assess the potential of nutrition education to foster greater food security among college students.
Main Methods:
- A pre-post study design was employed with 1,873 students in an introductory nutrition course and 1,125 in a comparison group at a large public university.
- Validated questionnaires measured nutrition knowledge, money expenditure, coping strategies, and food security using the US Department of Agriculture's Adult Food Security Survey Module.
- Statistical analyses included Wilcoxon ranksum tests, t-tests, regression models, and structural equation modeling to assess relationships.
Main Results:
- Students in the nutrition course demonstrated a significant increase in nutrition knowledge compared to a decline in the control group (P < 0.001).
- Increased nutrition knowledge was significantly associated with lower scores on the Money Expenditure Scale (P = 0.04) and Coping Strategy Scale (P < 0.001).
- Structural equation modeling revealed bidirectional relationships between nutrition knowledge and food agency factors.
Conclusions:
- Introductory college nutrition courses can effectively enhance nutrition knowledge and positively influence factors related to food agency.
- These findings highlight the potential for nutrition education to improve students' capacity to manage their food resources and enhance food security.
- Further research is warranted to explore how these knowledge improvements translate into sustainable behavioral changes that bolster food security in higher education environments.
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