Dataset Information

Newly Food-Insecure College Students in Appalachia During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

This study investigated if the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic influenced college student food insecurity and factors that might contribute to a student becoming newly food insecure.

Design

A convenience sample was assessed using a cross-sectional survey.

Setting

Online.

Participants

College students (n = 2,018) enrolled at a land-grant institution in Appalachia.

Main outcome measure(s)

Food insecurity was assessed using the Hunger Vital Sign with reference before COVID-19 and since COVID-19. Demographic and pandemic-specific questions and their associations with food insecurity status were assessed.

Analysis

Students were categorized as food secure (food secure before and since COVID-19 or food insecure in the year before COVID-19 but not food insecure since COVID-19), consistently food insecure (food insecure before and since COVID-19), and newly food insecure (food secure before but food insecure since COVID-19). Multivariate logistic regression was used to investigate the relationship between new food insecurity and contributing factors.

Results

Of respondents, 68.4% were food secure, 16.5% were consistently food insecure, and 15.1% were newly food insecure. Loss of employment, increased grocery expenditure, anxiety, and a perceived threat posed by COVID-19 were significant indicators of students being newly food insecure.

Conclusions and implications

More students were facing food insecurity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Continued advocacy for sustainable solutions to college food insecurity is needed.

SUBMITTER: Hagedorn RL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8579240 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Newly Food-Insecure College Students in Appalachia During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Hagedorn Rebecca L RL Walker Ayron E AE Wattick Rachel A RA Olfert Melissa D MD

Journal of nutrition education and behavior 20211110 3

<h4>Objective</h4>This study investigated if the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic influenced college student food insecurity and factors that might contribute to a student becoming newly food insecure.<h4>Design</h4>A convenience sample was assessed using a cross-sectional survey.<h4>Setting</h4>Online.<h4>Participants</h4>College students (n = 2,018) enrolled at a land-grant institution in Appalachia.<h4>Main outcome measure(s)</h4>Food insecurity was assessed using the Hunger Vital Sign ...[more]

PMID: 34774425

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Project description:BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in pronounced changes for college students, including shifts in living situations and engagement in virtual environments. Although college drinking decreased at the onset of the pandemic, a nuanced understanding of pandemic-related changes in drinking contexts and the risks conferred by each context on alcohol use and related consequences have yet to be assessed.MethodsSecondary data analyses were conducted on screening data from a large parent clinical trial assessing a college student drinking intervention (N = 1669). Participants across six cohorts (from Spring 2020 to Summer 2021) reported on the frequency of drinking in each context (i.e., outside the home, home alone, home with others in-person, and home with others virtually), typical amount of drinking, and seven alcohol-related consequence subscales.ResultsDescriptive statistics and negative binomial regressions indicated that the proportion and frequency of drinking at home virtually with others decreased, while drinking outside the home increased from Spring 2020 to Summer 2021. Limited differences were observed in the proportion or frequency of individuals drinking at home alone or at home with others in-person. Negative binomial and logistic regressions indicated that the frequency of drinking outside the home was most consistently associated with more alcohol-related consequences (i.e., six of the seven subscales). However, drinking at home was not without risks; drinking home alone was associated with abuse/dependence, personal, social, hangover, and social media consequences; drinking home with others virtually was associated with abuse/dependence and social consequences; drinking home with others in-person was associated with drunk texting/dialing.ConclusionThe proportion and frequency of drinking in certain contexts changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, although drinking outside the home represented the highest risk drinking context across the pandemic. Future prevention and intervention efforts may benefit from considering approaches specific to different drinking contexts.

Dataset Information

Newly Food-Insecure College Students in Appalachia During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objective

Design

Setting

Participants

Main outcome measure(s)

Analysis

Results

Conclusions and implications

Publications

Newly Food-Insecure College Students in Appalachia During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Similar Datasets

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