Cornell note

fFood Insecurity as a Student Issue

From Journal of College & Character

November, 2014

by Clare L. Cady, Oregon State University

There exists an invisible student population on college campuses – those who are experiencing food insecurity. The issue is hard to see because of its cross-cutting nature and the fact that most people who are experiencing poverty want to keep it hidden due to stigma and shame. Regardless of its lack of visibility, the negative impacts of food insecurity on student success are real. This article utilizes the educational pipeline from elementary school to college to demonstrate that food insecurity has the potential to affect academic performance, student behavior, and engagement for college students. Because these education outcomes are linked to retention and graduation rates, the issue of food insecurity on campuses merits response from administration and faculty in higher education. Increased research and assessment are needed, as well as dedicated responses focused on alleviating student food insecurity. These responses should match the scope of food insecurity on individual campuses and can be developed through the efforts of campus administration in partnership with nonprofit and governmental agencies.

Definition of Terms

Food insecurity is defined as a condition when persons do not have adequate resources to feed themselves, either nutritionally, or at all. The United States Department of Agriculture furthers this definition, utilizing a food security range from “high food insecurity” to “very low food insecurity.” The categories deemed to be “food insecure” include experiences of reduced caloric intake, quality of foods, lack of variety in diet, disrupted eating patterns, and hunger. Current research shows that approximately 14.5% of U.S. households are experiencing some form of food insecurity. For the purposes of this article, I use the term food insecurity to mean any level of deficient food resources along this food security spectrum. I utilize the term food insecurity without hunger to indicate times when the issue is lowered caloric intake, lack of food variety, and lower quality of foods. When the issue is specifically not enough food to maintain oneself physically, I utilize the term food insecurity with hunger. When the distinction is not relevant, I will use the term food insecurity.

Food Insecurity as a Student Issue

When discussing college student populations, research on the prevalence of food insecurity is limited. The most recent study published was conducted at a large public university in the southeastern United States. Researchers found 14% of students surveyed were experiencing some form of food insecurity (Gaines, Robb, Knol, & Sickler, 2014). Another recent study was conducted at a rural university in Oregon, which found that over half the students surveyed (59%) had experienced food insecurity with or without hunger at some point during the previous year (Patton-Lopez, Lopez-Cevallos, Cancel-Tirado, & Vasquez, 2014). In a study done at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa researchers found that 21% of students were considered to be food insecure (Chaparro, Zaghoul, Holck, & Dobbs, 2009). This study also referenced two unpublished research projects conducted at Ohio University and the University of Hawai’i at Manoa, noting that in the study in Hawai’i, 22% of the students surveyed were found to be food insecure. Two other unpublished studies found high instances of food insecurity. A student honors project at Bowling Green State University found 19% of surveyed students to be food insecure (Koller, 2014), and a study conducted at the University of California, Merced, found that 32% were experiencing either food insecurity with hunger or food insecurity without hunger (Lerer, 2013). Only one study was conducted at a community college. Researchers from City University of New York (CUNY) found that 39.2% of students reported experiencing food insecurity, with 22.7% reporting food insecurity with hunger (Freudenberg, et al., 2011). One limitation of this literature review is that the studies are not consistent in how they measure food insecurity and thus cannot easily be used together to paint a broader picture. Additionally, most of the studies did not indicate the type of food insecurity (with or without hunger) measured. This limits conclusions that can be drawn from the research because each type of food insecurity could differently impact student outcomes. Also, these studies focus primarily on the incidences of food insecurity among students without looking deeply into impacts on academics, engagement, success, and retention.

There exists a dissonance between these studies and what is known about food insecurity in the United States. Current national trends show that in 2012, 14.5% of U.S. households were experiencing food insecurity with or without hunger (USDA, 2013), while the data on college students indicate that food insecurity is significantly higher than the general U.S. population. The fact that the number of food insecure college students is greater than the national average seems out of sync with the data about how poverty impacts college attendance. Experiencing food insecurity in elementary and high schools leads to negative impacts on academic outcomes. Because food insecurity negatively impacts academic success, it indicates that students who are food insecure across their lifespan are less likely to achieve in elementary and high school, thus making it less likely for them to attend a college or university. This potential impact is supported by literature demonstrating that low-income students attend colleges and universities in fewer numbers than peers who are more financially secure. Given that the research suggests that there should be fewer food insecure students attending colleges and universities, the fact that there seems to be so many students in this situation calls for answers to the questions, “Are these studies accurate?”, and if so, “Why are college students experiencing higher instances of food insecurity than the general U.S. population?”

Impacts of Food Insecurity on Education, Health, and Behavior

There are currently no published studies that I have found that focus on the impact of food insecurity and educational outcomes for college students. However, looking at how hunger and food insecurity affect students in K-12 settings could provide insight into potential impacts as students move along the educational pipeline. Food insecurity can have detrimental outcomes on student success in elementary and secondary schools, where studies indicate that students who experience food insecurity often do not achieve at the same levels as their peers who are food secure. These outcomes are most obvious when focused on academics, where elementary and postsecondary students who are food insecure perform at lower levels. These include, but are not limited to, behavioral issues, lower scores in math, decreased memory, and lower reading scores. Low-income students are also more likely to work in order to cover college costs, with many working over 20 hours per week. While students who work 10-15 hours per week see positive impacts on grades and engagement, students working more than 20 hours per week have lower GPAs than those students who are working fewer hours.

Food insecurity is also related to other health and community concerns beyond academic performance. There exists a link between food insecurity and behavioral issues at the K-12 level, such as absenteeism and suspensions. The effects of poverty and financial stress increase risks of mental health issues such as depression among K-12 students and college students. Poverty also contributes to a higher likelihood of anxiety and suicidal ideation at the college level. These issues impact individual wellness and safety as well as community safety.

While most of these studies are focused on elementary and high school students rather than college students, one can make assumptions about how food insecurity impacts college students by taking a pipeline approach to education. A pipeline approach assumes that issues that occur in elementary school will move forward along the pipeline into secondary schools, which in turn will move forward into college. Given that food insecurity has negative impacts in elementary, then high school, one could make the assumption that the same impacts would be present for college students experiencing food insecurity. Further research is needed in order to determine whether or not this assumption is true.

Food Insecurity and Underserved Student Populations

It is also important to note that food insecurity disproportionately impacts populations that are already underserved on college campuses. In the United States, populations such as African-American and Latino/a and Chicano/a, Native American, persons with disabilities, persons who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer, and women, particularly single women with children, have higher percentages of food insecurity. The CUNY study hints at this insecurity, finding that African-American and Latino/a and Chicano/a students experienced higher instances of food insecurity than White students. In the study at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa, students self-identifying as Filipino and Hawaiian/Pacific Islander had higher rates of food insecurity than White students. None of the studies collected data about identities other than race and ethnicity. While currently data collected on campuses do not adequately demonstrate that underserved populations higher rates of food insecurity, it is important to note that underserved student populations may be at greater risk, which should inform the development of future studies on campus food insecurity.

Conclusion

Food insecurity can have serious negative impact on student success – academic, behavioral, and social. While more research is needed to adequately understand the full scale of food insecurity among college students in the United States, it is clear that it is an issue that requires attention. Current responses are varied and often include partnerships with outside nonprofit and governmental agencies. Campus administration should be working to assess the number of students who are experiencing food insecurity and developing responses to meet student need. In doing so, there is potential to be both proactive and reactive to food insecurity, working to fill gaps in the safety net for students, and providing greater opportunity for students to be successful. f