Food insecurity among university students in the United States amidst the COVID-19 pandemic

Objective This study reports on food insecurity (FI) amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants and methods College students in four regions of the US completed the two-item validated Hunger Vital Sign (TM) screening tool on Qualtrics. Results FI increased significantly after March 2020 among US students (worry about food running out: 25% to 35%; food did not last: 17% to 21%) with significant regional increase in the Midwest and South. An adjusted multivariable logistic regression model indicated students that ran out of food were significantly at greater odds of experiencing hardship with paying bills (AOR: 5.59, 95% CI =3.90-8.06). Conclusions The findings identified an increase in the prevalence of FI among college students during the pandemic. Suggestions of how to address FI are discussed.

Automated summary

This study reports a significant increase in food insecurity among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in the Midwest and South regions. The findings also highlight the association between food insecurity and difficulties in paying bills.