Examining the Relationship Between Food Insecurity and Academic Performance: Implications for Diversity and Equity in Higher Education

In recent years, researchers have increasingly focused on the experience of food insecurity among students at higher education institutions. Most of the literature has focused on undergraduates in the eastern and midwestern regions of the United States. This cross-sectional study of undergraduate, graduate, and professional students at a Minority Institution in the southwestern United States is the first of its kind to explore food insecurity among diverse students that also includes data on gender identity and sexual orientation. When holding other factors constant, food-insecure students were far more likely to fail or withdraw from a course or to drop out entirely. We explore the role that higher education can play in ensuring students' basic needs and implications for educational equity.

Automated summary

In recent years, there has been a growing focus on food insecurity among students at higher education institutions, particularly in the eastern and midwestern regions of the United States. A cross-sectional study conducted on undergraduate, graduate, and professional students at a Minority Institution in the southwestern United States highlights the negative impact of food insecurity on students' academic performance and emphasizes the importance of higher education institutions in meeting students' basic needs.