03/22/2022
By Maureen Martin

The Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences, Solomont School of Nursing, invites you to attend a doctoral dissertation defense by Amy E. Kendrick on "Experiences of Food Insecure College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic."

Date: Tuesday, April 5, 2022
Time: 9 a.m. to noon
Location: This will be a virtual defense via Zoom. Those interested in attending should email Amy_Kendrick@student.uml.edu and committee chair Heidi_Fantasia@uml.edu at least 24 hours prior to the defense to request access to the meeting.

Committee Chair: Heidi Collins Fantasia, Ph.D., RN, WHNP-BC, FNAP, Chair and Associate Professor, Solomont School of Nursing, Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Committee Members:

  • Brenna Morse, Ph.D., FNP-BC, NCSN, CNE, PMGT-BC™, Associate Professor, Solomont School of Nursing, Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Don E. Willis, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, College of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Community Health and Research, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences - Northwest

Abstract:

Background: Food insecurity is defined as having limited ability to obtain or access adequate healthy foods due to a lack of money and other resources, as well as eating unhealthy but inexpensive foods to avoid hunger. Food insecure individuals often experience poorer self-rated health, more frequent school or work absences due to physical or mental health, higher body mass index (BMI), and higher prevalence of chronic disease such as diabetes and depression. College students are becoming increasingly food insecure. The Covid-19 pandemic has introduced yet another barrier for those who are food insecure. In the face of the pandemic, many institutions transitioned to online education and shut down their physical campus spaces for various lengths of time. This disruption of services included the inability of students to access on-campus dining services as well as campus food pantries, leaving more students vulnerable to food insecurity and with less access to a wider variety of affordable foods. The Covid-19 pandemic increased economic instability due to job or wage loss and an increased rate of housing insecurity.

Aim: The aims of this qualitative descriptive study were to describe the experiences and needs of food insecure college students during the Covid-19 pandemic and to obtain foundational information about food insecurity during a public health crisis to provide guidance for the development of future interventions.

Method: Interviews were conducted with 24 college students who self-identified as food insecure. The students ranged in age from 19 to 25 years with a mean age of 21. Most of the participants were female (79%) and identified as White (42%). Most of the students were enrolled as full-time students, received financial aid, were employed either full time or part time and lived off campus at the time of data collection.

Findings: Three major themes emerged from the analysis of the data: Access to more resources, multiple losses; and “college kids need help”.

Conclusion: While some students experienced an improvement in their food status due to increased support in the home or from government program accessibility, others experienced profound losses. Jobs, wages, and access to campus food sources were the most frequently reported losses among the participants. These losses had a combined negative impact on the participants’ food security. Finally, students expressed the need for help. College students require help accessing adequate amounts of healthy food and look to their academic institutions for support with this need. commuter students were often at a disadvantage when being aware of or trying to access food resources on campus during the pandemic. Nurses who provide care to college-aged adolescents can take actionable steps, including early and frequent assessment for
food insecurity, referral to food resources, support and management of physical and psychological issues related to food insecurity, and advocacy for improved food programs for this population to improve food insecurity going forward.