Effects of food insecurity on nutrition, stress, and resilience

Abstract

Food Insecurity is a pressing issue that impacts many Americans, specifically the college student population. Along with the various burdens that come with university life, lacking adequate access to nutritious dense foods poses a serous threat to the resilience and stress levels of students. However, there is a lack on research addressing the relationship between food insecurity, stress and resilience among college students. To assess how food insecurity and low income impact stress, resilience, and diet, an anonymous online survey targeting 18 and older was distributed via social media and emails. This survey included demographic questions and several validated scales such as Food Insecurity Experience Scale, Brief Resilience Scale, Academic Motivation Scale, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, Stress Mindset Measure, and Perceived Stress Scale. A total of 1005 participants completed the survey. The data were analyzed using Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient in SPSS version 25.0. The results indicate that there is a positive correlation between food insecurity and consumption of pre-packaged food. A negative correlation exists between food insecurity and consumption of fruits, dark green leafy vegetables, whole grain products, and frequent breakfast consumption. This suggests that those who are food insecure are more likely to be deficient in essential nutrients that accompany a well-balanced diet. Additionally, there is a positive correlation between stress and food insecurity as well as a negative correlation between food insecurity and resilience. This indicates that students who are food insecure are more likely to feel stressed and less confident in their ability to handle their personal problems. On the other hand, consuming dark leafy vegetables has a negative correlation with hopelessness, and consuming fruits has a negative correlation with feelings of stress and nervousness. This points to a strong relationship between food insecurity, stress, resilience, and diet. In conclusion, the lack of nutritious foods consumed stemming from food insecurity negatively impacts college students by increasing their stress levels and lowering their resilience. Binghamton University This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.