Captive Market Pricing and Lack of Transportation: A Survey of Undergraduate Food Insecurity at a Public University in New England

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to describe the prevalence of food insecurity among college students and its relationship to on-campus food purchasing patterns and barriers to eating a healthy and sufficient diet, including the relative cost of food items on campus compared to national chain grocery stores. Design A campus-wide survey using stratified sampling among undergraduates and food audit. Setting An urban public university in New England. Subjects A total of 951 surveys completed by undergraduates. Measures Demographic characteristics, behavioral factors and food security status (measured using the USDA 6-item short form) were collected. Method Descriptive and multivariable analyses were conducted to describe differences between food insecure and food secure undergraduates. Results Overall, 35% of undergraduates experienced food insecurity in the past year (response rate = 92%). Food insecure undergraduates had different on-campus purchasing patterns than their food secure counterparts. Food insecure students were more likely to report barriers to healthy eating on all measures, including prices (AOR= 8.12, P < .0001), to experience housing insecurity (AOR= 2.64, P = .001) and to report that transportation is a barrier to buying groceries (AOR= 1.63, P = .01). After multivariable adjustment, food insecure undergraduates had higher odds of being African American (AOR= 1.57, P = .031) or other races (more than 1 race) (AOR= 3.35, P = .002) compared to white undergraduates. Conclusions Food insecure college students face a variety of barriers to healthy eating on campus, including high food pricing on campus and limited transportation options. Further research is needed to inform campus resource development, policies and programming focused on food insecurity prevention for college students.

Food Price Bubbles: Food Price Indices of Turkey, the FAO, the OECD, and the IMF

“…Additionally, natural disasters such as droughts or floods can lead to an incredible drop in the food supply, which can cause expenditures to expand unexpectedly (De Gregorio [81]; Yiu [82]). The commodity market hypothesis can contribute to bubbles in food prices, as merchants try to find increased income from the upsurge (Li, Li and Chavas [60]; Zigmont et al [83]). Governments and global groups have responded to price bubbles in food expenditures using various measures, including subsidies and price controls [84].…”

Advancing college food security: priority research gaps

“…Similar to food insecurity in the community setting (21) , college students may face a higher burden of food insecurity if they do not have means of transportation since this prevents them from accessing more affordable food options off campus (22,23) . If a university campus does not have grocery stores in close proximity, this limits students' access to healthier options (24) .…”

“…Many students use financial aid to pay for their college experience (25) , but if they do not participate in a meal plan, this can put them at higher risk of food insecurity (26) , particularly if they do not have a car or reliable public transportation. Some students are able to take advantage of community-based transportation programmes, if they exist; however, uptake may be low due to the time required to take a bus from campus to the supermarket (22,23,27) . Other students may rely on rides from other students, car-pooling or delivery services (28)(29)(30) .…”

Food Insecurity in Higher Education: A Contemporary Review of Impacts and Explorations of Solutions

“…Time commitments for class responsibilities may limit time to prepare and eat foods [7]. Food choice constraints including convenience and cost have also been identified as motivating factors [107,108]. In the more general college population, food choice motivators are less well-understood.…”