Food Insecurity within a Public University and the Role of Food Assistance Programs Amid the Global Pandemic
Food insecurity (FI) is a pressing concern among university students in the United States, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this issue. Providing food assistance for university students has become more challenging due to pandemic-related consequences and interventions. This study aims to (1...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Social Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/13/1/38 |
| _version_ | 1827371151919153152 |
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| author | Evansha Andre Yingru Li Dapeng Li J. Scott Carter Amy Donley Boon Peng Ng |
| author_facet | Evansha Andre Yingru Li Dapeng Li J. Scott Carter Amy Donley Boon Peng Ng |
| author_sort | Evansha Andre |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Food insecurity (FI) is a pressing concern among university students in the United States, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this issue. Providing food assistance for university students has become more challenging due to pandemic-related consequences and interventions. This study aims to (1) analyze social inequalities in FI among university students in a large public university during the pandemic, (2) investigate the association of their utilization of campus, community, and federal food assistance programs (FAPs) and FI, and (3) understand the barriers students face in accessing FAPs. Survey questionnaires were distributed to students to gather their socio-demographics, FI, and usage of FAPs. Logistic regression was utilized to assess the relationship between students’ FI and their use of FAPs. Among the surveyed students (<i>n</i> = 282), 33.7% reported experiencing FI. Higher FI rates were observed among socially vulnerable student groups, for example, non-Hispanic Black (62.5%) and Hispanic students (38.7%), compared with non-Hispanic White students (32.1%). FAPs had a limited influence on students’ FI due to low utilization. The primary barriers to FAPs were insufficient information, ineligibility, and social stigma. The findings suggest it is crucial to reduce barriers to using FAPs and develop targeted interventions for marginalized students to address inequalities in FI. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:35:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0d4223e3428344f0b327178f594627e8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-0760 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:35:04Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Social Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-0d4223e3428344f0b327178f594627e82024-01-26T18:28:49ZengMDPI AGSocial Sciences2076-07602024-01-011313810.3390/socsci13010038Food Insecurity within a Public University and the Role of Food Assistance Programs Amid the Global PandemicEvansha Andre0Yingru Li1Dapeng Li2J. Scott Carter3Amy Donley4Boon Peng Ng5Department of Sociology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USADepartment of Sociology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USADepartment of Geography and the Environment, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USADepartment of Sociology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USADepartment of Sociology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USACollege of Nursing, Disability, Aging and Technology Cluster, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32826, USAFood insecurity (FI) is a pressing concern among university students in the United States, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this issue. Providing food assistance for university students has become more challenging due to pandemic-related consequences and interventions. This study aims to (1) analyze social inequalities in FI among university students in a large public university during the pandemic, (2) investigate the association of their utilization of campus, community, and federal food assistance programs (FAPs) and FI, and (3) understand the barriers students face in accessing FAPs. Survey questionnaires were distributed to students to gather their socio-demographics, FI, and usage of FAPs. Logistic regression was utilized to assess the relationship between students’ FI and their use of FAPs. Among the surveyed students (<i>n</i> = 282), 33.7% reported experiencing FI. Higher FI rates were observed among socially vulnerable student groups, for example, non-Hispanic Black (62.5%) and Hispanic students (38.7%), compared with non-Hispanic White students (32.1%). FAPs had a limited influence on students’ FI due to low utilization. The primary barriers to FAPs were insufficient information, ineligibility, and social stigma. The findings suggest it is crucial to reduce barriers to using FAPs and develop targeted interventions for marginalized students to address inequalities in FI.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/13/1/38food insecurityuniversity studentsfood assistance programsinequalityglobal pandemic |
| spellingShingle | Evansha Andre Yingru Li Dapeng Li J. Scott Carter Amy Donley Boon Peng Ng Food Insecurity within a Public University and the Role of Food Assistance Programs Amid the Global Pandemic Social Sciences food insecurity university students food assistance programs inequality global pandemic |
| title | Food Insecurity within a Public University and the Role of Food Assistance Programs Amid the Global Pandemic |
| title_full | Food Insecurity within a Public University and the Role of Food Assistance Programs Amid the Global Pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Food Insecurity within a Public University and the Role of Food Assistance Programs Amid the Global Pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Food Insecurity within a Public University and the Role of Food Assistance Programs Amid the Global Pandemic |
| title_short | Food Insecurity within a Public University and the Role of Food Assistance Programs Amid the Global Pandemic |
| title_sort | food insecurity within a public university and the role of food assistance programs amid the global pandemic |
| topic | food insecurity university students food assistance programs inequality global pandemic |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/13/1/38 |
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