Abstract
BackgroundFood insecurity (FI) – the lack of sufficient access to food to maintain a healthy lifestyle – among college (i.e. post-secondary or higher education institution) students has become a prominent issue in the U.S. However, it is not clear if high rates of FI among students are due to the modern experience in higher education institutions or due to underlying issues in common surveying methods. To understand if there were underlying content validity issues, the present study had two primary research questions: 1) How do students interpret the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Security Survey Module (FSSM) questionnaire items, and 2) How do responses of students experiencing FI compare with the theorized experiences and coping responses?MethodsThirty-three undergraduate students, aged 18- to 24-years old and fluent in English were recruited from a single 4-year university. During a 60-min session, participants completed the 10-item Adult FSSM and then were cognitively interviewed about their responses using the think-aloud method. Interview transcripts were analysed by two researchers using a collaborative process and basic interpretative approach.ResultsStudents were on average 19.5 years old (± 1.2 years), the majority were in their freshman or sophomore (i.e., first or second) year, and 67% (n = 22) experienced FI. Results indicated that students’ interpretations of key terms – such as “money for more,” “balanced meals,” and “real hunger” – diverge from expectations. Furthermore, students categorized as food insecure reported experiences and responses to FI that varied from theoretical dimensions of the process.ConclusionsThough limited by sample size and representativeness, the present results indicate that the content validity of the FSSM may be compromised in this population and the managed process of FI may present differently among college students. Further psychometric research on modifications to the FSSM or with new FI assessment tools should be conducted with college students.
Highlights
Food insecurity (FI) – the lack of sufficient access to food to maintain a healthy lifestyle – among college students has become a prominent issue in the U.S it is not clear if high rates of FI among students are due to the modern experience in higher education institutions or due to underlying issues in common surveying methods
The sample included more students who identify as white (58% vs. 45%) and Asian (21% vs. 18%) as well as more students who identify as female (70% vs. 45%) and less senior students (15% vs. 30%) when compared to the larger undergraduate student body
Living situation and financial resources available were diverse, with approximately half of participants using a dining hall meal plan and equal proportions of participants living in oncampus and off-campus residences
Summary
Food insecurity (FI) – the lack of sufficient access to food to maintain a healthy lifestyle – among college (i.e. post-secondary or higher education institution) students has become a prominent issue in the U.S it is not clear if high rates of FI among students are due to the modern experience in higher education institutions or due to underlying issues in common surveying methods. Food insecurity (FI) is defined as insufficient access to nutritionally adequate and culturally appropriate food to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle [1]. There are four components of U.S household FI, originally defined by Radimer et al, [5]: 1) quantity; 2) quality; 3) psychological acceptability, and 4) social acceptability. The first component, quantity, indicates that households experiencing FI often restrict the volume and calories of their food.
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