Food Insecurity and Associated Health and Academic Measures Among College Students in Connecticut

Authors

  • Victoria A. Zigmont
  • Abigail Linsmeier
  • Peggy Gallup

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47779/ajhs.2020.254

Keywords:

Food insecurity; college; university; student health; mental health; academic success

Abstract

This cross-sectional study explored the health and academic impacts of food insecurity among undergraduates at a public university. A representative campus-wide sample (n=792) found that roughly 30% of students were food insecure, based upon a single validated question about the student’s experience over the past year. Food insecure students had lower GPAs (3.09 vs. 3.25), a higher proportion had a depression diagnosis (22.4 vs. 14.3), and a higher proportion ate fewer than three servings of fruits and vegetables per day (14.4% vs. 7.3%) compared to food secure students. A marginally higher proportion of food insecure students had an anxiety diagnosis (22.8% vs. 14.3%) More research is needed to understand the extent and manifestation of food insecurity so effective interventions can be developed.

Published

2021-04-29

How to Cite

Zigmont, V. A., Linsmeier, A., & Gallup, P. (2021). Food Insecurity and Associated Health and Academic Measures Among College Students in Connecticut. American Journal of Health Studies, 35(4). https://doi.org/10.47779/ajhs.2020.254