please do step 3 and 4 [highlighted paragraph]

Introduction

Food insecurity is one of the challenges which are facing university and college students. The number of students getting admission to universities is increasing, and some of them lack enough food for themselves. When the students are unable to afford adequate food, they end up having poor academic performance and suffering from depression (Morris et al, 2016). They spend less time on the studies because most of the time they are looking for jobs which can sustain them. This activity affects their academic goals, and they will have to repeat the course because they have not met the expectation of the university. Western Oregon University is not an exception as some of the students cannot afford adequate food. Western Oregon University encourages finding a food pantry at the university so that they will be able to access food or meals for free. The university also allows students who come from well-up background to donate unused food to others.

Statement of the problem

The social issue addressed in this case is food insecurity. Some of the students at Western Oregon University are not able to afford enough food, and this contributes to poor academic performance. Most of the students who experience food insecurity come from a minority background. The rate of inflation is very high, and they have to raise their tuition fee. This makes it hard for them to have adequate money which can afford adequate food.

Objectives

· To discuss the impact of inability to afford food among students in university

· To find out the cause of inability to afford food among students in university

· To find out mitigation measures to inadequate food among students in university

Background information

The cause of food insecurity

There are number of students in universities in the United States who cannot afford food, and they end up struggling on means for survival. The nature of the issue makes many students who come from poor background hide it because they fear shame or stigma. These kinds of students are more likely to come from a minority background, and they experience financial constraints for paying their tuition fee. Similarly, there are high rates of the college and university tuition fee, and the financial aids do not consider the pace of the rising costs (Booth & Anderson, 2017). The students have to take loans so that they can pay a fee and get financial aid, but the end has had a huge fee balance which they have to pay. They will opt to pay the tuition fees and struggle with food. Other students in the Western Oregon University have responsibilities as some have a family. A study which was conducted recently shows that in every four university students, one of them have a child. The students have to take care of the children at home, and this makes life to be very hard. A student can sacrifice so that his or her child is taken care off. Nowadays, it is also hard to get government assistance which used to help by university students. It reaches a point where the students have to decide between paying their tuition fee, their accommodation, and rent. Some opt to pay tuition fee and rent, and they end up struggling with meals.

Impacts of food insecurity

Most of the Students who experience incidences of food insecurity usually have poor academic performance. The students do not concentrate on their studies because they spend their time looking for money to buy food. They will also be hunting for jobs so that they can earn some money to sustain them. Poor performance makes them repeat their causes because they did not meet the expectation of the university. This can be very hard for them because they have to repay for the course so that they can repeat (Simon et al, 2018). Due to lack of enough money to repay the cause, the likelihood of suffering from depression and other stress-related disorders are high. The students have to think hard on where they can get money for food as well as paying for the cause to be repeated. The students also experience the challenge of eating unhealthy food because they do not have the capability of purchasing balanced diet food. Unhealthy food presents are a great problem among university students such as diabetes and obesity. They will end up spending their time while visiting at the hospitals hence poor performance.

Mitigation measures to food insecurity among university students

One of the measures which can be used in the Western Oregon University is a food pantry which helps in the provision of food to individuals who are facing food insecurity issues. In the United States, food pantry offers nutritious and healthy food (Silva et al, 2017). It also provides public education on issues related to nutrition. Students facing food insecurity are encouraged to register under food pantries which work in conjunction with food bank so that they can get food. The meals are provided for free and can help in addressing food insecurity at Western Oregon University. Another strategy which can be implemented is coming up with meal assistance program where the students who come from well-up backgrounds can donate unused food to others. The food can be distributed to the food pantries or in the dining halls.

Methodology

The study sample included students who are in their second, third, fourth or fifth year and taking at least one course at the Western Oregon University. First years were not picked for the study because most of them live in the campus where they are required to buy a meal plan which provides food to them. The sample population was made up by 800 students who were randomly selected. Questionnaires were used to gather information on the students who were at more risks of experiencing food insecurity. The questionnaires also focused on the cause of the food insecurity and how it affected students who cannot afford enough food Patton et al, 2014). Data was also collected through an interview to inquire about how the students were impacted by food insecurity. The interview also entailed impacts concerning academic performances. The data was also gathered through group discussion to collect data on the mitigation measures which can be used to reduce the problems of food insecurity. The data will be analyzed using Excel and SPSS. This will include tables, charts, and graphs.

Conclusion

Food insecurity in Western Oregon University contributes to the poor academic performance of the students, depression and low self-esteem. The students who are more likely to face food insecurity are the one who comes from a minority background. High inflation rates, minimal government assistance and increased rates of tuition fees lead to food insecurity. The mitigation measures which can be used to solve the problem of food insecurity are food pantries, donation of food from students who are well up, encouraging the students to access the meals in food pantries and public education on healthy nutrition.

References

Booth, A. L., & Anderson, M. (2017). Food (in) security within a university community: the experiences of students, staff and faculty at a sustainable institution. In Handbook of Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development in Higher Education (pp. 187-199). Springer, Cham.

Morris, L. M., Smith, S., Davis, J., & Null, D. B. (2016). The prevalence of food security and insecurity among Illinois University students. Journal of nutrition education and behavior, 48(6), 376-382.

Patton-López, M. M., López-Cevallos, D. F., Cancel-Tirado, D. I., & Vazquez, L. (2014). Prevalence and correlates of food insecurity among students attending a midsize rural university in Oregon. Journal of nutrition education and behavior, 46(3), 209-214.

Silva, M. R., Kleinert, W. L., Sheppard, A. V., Cantrell, K. A., Freeman-Coppedge, D. J., Tsoy, E., ... & Pearrow, M. (2017). The relationship between food security, housing stability, and school performance among college students in an urban university. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 19(3), 284-299.

Simon, A., Goto, K., Breed, J., & Bianco, S. (2018). Factors Associated with Food Insecurity and Food Assistance Program Participation among University Students.