Domains shaping experiences around food with implications for food insecurity among students at a public university in the United States.

Abstract

Objective: Despite alarming rates of students' food insecurity in the US (41%), estimates may not be fully capturing experiences in university settings. Understanding students' food insecurity is a knowledge gap flagged amidst outstanding progress on food security measurement in household settings. This study investigated the domains shaping the experiences around food with implications for food insecurity among students. Participants and Methods: Of 178 students aged 18 years or older who reported worrying about food running out, eating insufficient amounts of food, and lacking balanced meals, a purposeful sample of 30 undergraduate and graduate students participated in a semi-structured interview. Data analysis involved three rounds of inductive coding. Results: Individual, community and system domains shaped experiences around food among students. Domain-specific and multi-domain factors operated simultaneously with implications for food availability, accessibility, acceptability, and utilization. Conclusion: Authorities have an opportunity to revisit the conceptualization of students' food insecurity and to further improve measurement tools and university services.