Does Students’ Home Zip Code Relate to Food Insecurity on Campus? Implications of Home Demographics on Food Insecurity in College

Abstract

Abstract Objectives To explore the relationship between students’ home zip code demographics and their food security status at a midsized, northeastern university. Methods Data were collected between 2018–2020 from the College Health and Nutrition Assessment Survey, an ongoing, cross sectional study at a midsized, public, northeastern university. As part of an online survey (Qualtrics) offered during the 3rd or 4th week of the semester, students completed the 6-item USDA Food Insecurity Questionnaire and provided the zip code associated with their primary residence prior to attending college. Students’ self-reported answers were used to categorize current food security status: food secure, low food secure, or very low food secure. A food security index was created from 13 unique sets of US Census data associated with zip codes. Each zip code was scored by sextiles for each census demographic and summed; final index values were assigned to each reported zip code and ranged from high to low risk of food insecurity (13–78). Results After exclusion of missing data, 687 students were included in the final analysis. The sample of predominantly female (62.0%), white (93.1%), first year (47.7%), and reported a zip code from the home state of the institution (39.9%). The mean food security index (±SD) of reported zip codes was 45.3 ± 8.9. In all, 18.8% reported food insecurity, (5.5% very low food security and 13.2% low food security), and 81.2% reported food security or marginal food security. Food insecurity was highest (21.8%) in students from zip codes most at risk for food insecurity based on the index, however, not significantly different from students from zip codes with the most food secure index score (18.8%). Conclusions Food insecurity among college students has been previously linked to poorer health, grades, and academic retention. More work is needed to elucidate the role of students’ prior place of residence to identify those at greatest risk of experiencing food insecurity on campus. Funding Sources The New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station and USDA National Institute of Food and Agricultural Hatch Project 1010738.