Food Insecurity within a Public University and the Role of Food Assistance Programs Amid the Global Pandemic

IF 1.7 Q2 SOCIAL SCIENCES, INTERDISCIPLINARY

Social Sciences Pub Date : 2024-01-07 DOI:10.3390/socsci13010038

Evansha Andre, Yingru Li, Dapeng Li, J. S. Carter, Amy Donley, Boon Peng Ng

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Abstract

Food insecurity (FI) is a pressing concern among university students in the United States, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this issue. Providing food assistance for university students has become more challenging due to pandemic-related consequences and interventions. This study aims to (1) analyze social inequalities in FI among university students in a large public university during the pandemic, (2) investigate the association of their utilization of campus, community, and federal food assistance programs (FAPs) and FI, and (3) understand the barriers students face in accessing FAPs. Survey questionnaires were distributed to students to gather their socio-demographics, FI, and usage of FAPs. Logistic regression was utilized to assess the relationship between students’ FI and their use of FAPs. Among the surveyed students (n = 282), 33.7% reported experiencing FI. Higher FI rates were observed among socially vulnerable student groups, for example, non-Hispanic Black (62.5%) and Hispanic students (38.7%), compared with non-Hispanic White students (32.1%). FAPs had a limited influence on students’ FI due to low utilization. The primary barriers to FAPs were insufficient information, ineligibility, and social stigma. The findings suggest it is crucial to reduce barriers to using FAPs and develop targeted interventions for marginalized students to address inequalities in FI.

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公立大学中的粮食不安全问题以及粮食援助计划在全球大流行中的作用

粮食不安全 (FI) 是美国大学生迫切关注的问题，而 COVID-19 大流行则加剧了这一问题。由于与大流行病相关的后果和干预措施，为大学生提供食物援助变得更具挑战性。本研究旨在：（1）分析大流行病期间一所大型公立大学的大学生在食物援助方面的社会不平等现象；（2）调查他们利用校园、社区和联邦食物援助计划（FAPs）与食物援助之间的关联；（3）了解学生在获取食物援助计划时面临的障碍。我们向学生发放了调查问卷，以收集他们的社会人口统计数据、FI 和对 FAPs 的使用情况。利用逻辑回归法评估了学生的家庭收入与他们使用家庭协助计划之间的关系。在接受调查的学生（n = 282）中，有 33.7% 的学生表示有过 FI。与非西班牙裔白人学生（32.1%）相比，社会弱势学生群体的FI比率更高，例如非西班牙裔黑人学生（62.5%）和西班牙裔学生（38.7%）。由于使用率低，家庭行动计划对学生家庭收入的影响有限。获得家庭援助计划的主要障碍是信息不足、不符合条件和社会耻辱感。研究结果表明，必须减少使用《家庭行动计划》的障碍，并为边缘化学生制定有针对性的干预措施，以解决家庭收入不平等的问题。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Social Sciences Social Sciences-Social Sciences (all)

CiteScore

2.60

自引率

5.90%

发文量

494

审稿时长

11 weeks

期刊介绍： Social Sciences (ISSN 2076-0760) is an international, peer-reviewed, quick-refereeing open access journal published online monthly by MDPI. The journal seeks to appeal to an interdisciplinary audience and authorship which focuses upon real world research. It attracts papers from a wide range of fields, including anthropology, criminology, geography, history, political science, psychology, social policy, social work, sociology, and more. With its efficient and qualified double-blind peer review process, Social Sciences aims to present the newest relevant and emerging scholarship in the field to both academia and the broader public alike, thereby maintaining its place as a dynamic platform for engaging in social sciences research and academic debate. Subject Areas: Anthropology, Criminology, Economics, Education, Geography, History, Law, Linguistics, Political science, Psychology, Social policy, Social work, Sociology, Other related areas.