Are we meeting student needs? Developing a measure for college food pantry satisfaction

Abstract

Food insecurity is a growing concern in higher education. As universities adapt to meet the growing need of college students to access adequate amounts of healthy food, food pantries are among the most widely implemented food security supports. However, little has been done to measure whether this resource is meeting the needs of students. This study aims to fill gaps in the existing literature by using a cross-sectional design to develop a novel satisfaction survey and measure overall satisfaction, use of resources, and additional support needs of students utilizing an on-campus food pantry. A convenience sample of 100 student on-campus pantry users participated. The survey consisted of a ten-item, investigator-designed satisfaction scale, which demonstrated a high measure of reliability (Cronbach’s Alpha = .849). Based on a five-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree), overall student satisfaction was high [ = 3.8]. Students reported the highest level of satisfaction with friendliness of staff volunteers [x̅ = 4.55], location of the pantry [x̅ = 4.26], and availability of shelf stable food items [x̅ = 4.11]. Students reported lowest satis­faction with the selection of fresh fruits [x̅ = 3.18] and fresh vegetables [x̅ = 3.21], and the selection of dairy products [x̅ = 3.59]. Most indicated a need for additional support from the pantry site, including school supplies (n = 48), hygiene and toiletry supplies (n = 47), cooking utensils (n = 47), information on other emergency resources (n = 28), financial resources (n = 25), and recipes (n = 25). More research is needed to better under­stand pantry-site satisfaction, identify potential additional desired supports, and the impacts of on-campus food pantries. This study is the first of a multiphase project that will continue to explore on-campus food pantries as an intervention strategy, the student experience of utilizing food pantries, and their potential impact on students.