Food insecurity affects a significant proportion of college students in the U.S. and beyond. Its prevalence is so notable that it has been described as a syndemic—a set of interconnected health and social issue. The impacts of food insecurity on college students are evident across multiple dimensions of holistic well-being. Students experiencing food insecurity are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression and report higher levels of stress and poorer sleep quality compared to students without food insecurity. The consequences of food insecurity also poorly affect academic performance, including decreased attention and concentration, lower grade point averages, lower classroom attendance rates, and an increased likelihood of failing or withdrawing from courses.
Student food insecurity is a significant concern on college campuses in the United States and beyond. While demographic risk factors for food insecurity are well-documented, the influence of social factors, such as social relationships and social support, remains less understood. This study aimed to explore the experiences of college food pantry users in relation to food insecurity and social connections. In a new JAFSCD article Food insecurity and social connections among university food pantry users before and during COVID-19, authors find that campus food pantries and their staff serve a broader role beyond providing access to food, aligning with strategic recommendations for addressing campus food insecurity.
Corresponding author Anthony D. Campbell can be contacted at adc0044@auburn.edu.
KEY FINDINGS
- Students reported a range of experiences related to social connections, both negative and positive, that clearly affected their access to resources and sup-port during the pandemic.
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Students adopted various strategies for dealing with pandemic food challenges, including using food pantries, relying on social supports such as food sharing, and seeking help from community support programs.
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In addition, in the pre-pandemic survey, students experiencing very low food security were more likely to report having had an exogenous event in the past 12 months and having less access to financial support.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICY, PRACTICE AND RESEARCH
Addressing food insecurity among college students requires a comprehensive and multifaceted approach. This study’s findings highlight that campus food pantries and their staff serve a broader role beyond providing access to food, aligning with strategic recommendations for addressing campus food insecurity. Food pantries might consider including more assessment and consideration of students’ previous experiences of food insecurity, the impact of exogenous factors that create hardships during college, the associations of food insecurity with trauma, and the availability of social support resources.
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Food insecurity affects a significant proportion of college students in the United States and beyond. Its prevalence is so notable that it has been described as a syndemic—a set of interconnected health and social issue. While demographic risk factors for food insecurity are well-documented, the influence of social factors, such as social relationships and social support, remains less understood. To read more about this wicked problem, visit @JAFSCD https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2025.144.014
Photo Above: Sacramento (California) State University students stock the ASI Food Pantry in 2016. Photo by Sac State/Andrea Price and used under CC BY-NC 2.0 via Flickr.
