P139 Student Use and Perceptions of a Campus Food Pantry at Appalachian State University

Abstract

Background Food insecurity is a public health problem among US college students. Over 640 campuses have established food pantries as temporary solutions to improve this food deficit. A pantry was opened at Appalachian State University (App State) in 2016 that has not been assessed for student use and perceptions. Objective Measure student use and assess perceptions of the physical environment, food offerings, and customer service at the campus food pantry. Study Design, Settings, Participants Cross-sectional online survey of 40 App State students. Measurable Outcome/Analysis Descriptive procedures measured food security status, pantry use, and perceptions of pantry services, and identified associations between variables. Significance was P Results One thousand students were recruited, and 215 (21.5%) submitted complete questionnaires. Food insecurity affected 91 (42.3%) of students, of whom 35 (38.4%) used the pantry. Pantry users were 28.9% males and 68.4% females and 34.2% freshmen/sophomores and 52.6% juniors/seniors. Reasons given by food insecure students for not using the pantry were “Others need it more” (65.9%), “I have regular adequate access to food” (58.2%), and “I feel embarrassed asking for help accessing food” (40.7%). Frequency of pantry use ranged from only once (28.9%) to once or twice/week (18.4%). Products most frequently accessed were grain/cereal foods (n = 26), vegetables (n = 22), and snacks (n = 18). Benefits of pantry use included “Able to spend on other necessities” (60%) and “Able to perform better on the job” (15%). Pantry users perceived the physical environment and customer service most favorably and food offerings less favorably. Feelings when using the pantry included “Thankful” (65.8%), “supported” (47.4%), “Guilty” (47.4%), and “anxious” (31.6%). Conclusion Food insecure students appreciate and are benefited by the pantry and should be encouraged to use it until long-term solutions are implemented. Funding None.