Exploring the Characteristics Associated With Food Insecurity Experienced by Graduate Students in a School of Health Professions

Abstract

ObjectivesFood insecurity (FI) affects between 11% and 51% of health sciences graduate students attending universities across the United States. This study aimed to describe the food security status of health sciences graduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic and to determine the educational, social, and economic characteristics associated with having food insecurity. MethodsThis was a secondary analysis of data from a cross-sectional study of 579 health sciences graduate students attending a northeastern university who responded to a survey between January and March 2021. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) 6-item Short Form Food Security Survey was used to assess food security status. Descriptive statistics and Chi-Square tests were used to identify factors associated with FI. ResultsThe majority of the sample was female (69.9%), non-white (57.4%), in a doctoral program (73.2%), and had a median age of 26.0 years. Sixty-seven % reported an annual personal income below $25,000, primarily sourced from student loans, grants, and family support; 20% reported supporting someone else with their annual personal income. Nineteen and three-tenths % (19.3%) of the health sciences graduate students had low or very low food security status. Those who financially supported someone else were significantly more likely to have FI (p = 0.04) than who did not financially support someone else. Those who lost employment income during the COVID-19 pandemic were more likely to experience FI. (p < 0.001) than those who did not have lost or reduced income. ConclusionsFactors significantly associated with FI were income loss and financially supporting someone other than themselves. Qualitative research on student finances may further define the characteristics of health sciences graduate students who are at risk for FI. University-sponsored student health screenings for FI and targeted outreach to address it are needed. Funding SourcesDepartment of Clinical and Preventive Nutrition Sciences at Rutgers University funded the gift cards for the raffle.