Evaluation of Food Insecurity among College Students
Lynn A Hanna

Abstract
Food insecurity, defined as concern or experience with inadequate food, affected 14.7% of households in the United States in 2012. Low income and being a child are strong predictors of food insecurity suggesting that some college students will be food insecure. In addition to a low income, college students incur unique financial stresses of tuition and educational materials. This pilot study surveyed the frequency of food insecurity, and identifies some behaviors and factors associated with it. In this sample of 67 students, 19.7% were food insecure citing insufficient money as the primary contributor. Students were reducing meal size, or skipping meals for up to a whole day. Regular assessment of food insecurity would be instructive to universities in determining the impact of this distraction to academic success. Such information could be used to identify or develop resources tailored to alleviating or preventing food insecurity in this unique population.

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