Navigating Hidden Hunger: An Exploratory Analysis of the Lived Experience of Food Insecurity among College Students

Abstract

College students are a vulnerable population to food insecurity (FI), which has significant implications for academic and health outcomes. The aims of this study were to explore the meaning of FI and its impact on students’ lived experiences and food decisions, facilitators and barriers to food access as a student, and students’ proposed solutions to address FI. Semi-structured, qualitative interviews were conducted with thirty students from a large, public land grant university in the Southeast United States. Grounded theory methodology was utilized with a constant comparative coding strategy to guide thematic analysis. Nine main themes emerged. Themes included the perceived meaning of FI, students’ lived experience with FI, and food related coping strategies and decisions. Facilitators to food access were found to be social-networks and on-campus resources, while barriers to food access included financial burden of higher education, and stigma and social comparison. Proposed solutions to FI aligned with two main themes: food access solutions and information access solutions. Both of these themes included multiple subthemes that provided specific suggestions to address food insecurity for students. The findings aid in understanding the complex lived experience of FI and can inform future efforts to center student experiences, perceptions, and feedback into institutional frameworks to best meet student needs.

Constructed Pathways: How Multiply-Marginalized Students Navigate Food Insecurity at Selective Universities

“…Scholars have explored the negative ramifications of experiencing food insecurity on students' academics, including an association with lower grade point average (GPA), more frequent course withdrawal, or not purchasing the necessary textbooks (A. Anderson et al, 2022;Dubick et al, 2016). In addition to academic and social barriers, students experiencing food insecurity are more likely to also experience depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and suicidal thoughts, all of which are likely to negatively affect the quality of student engagement and outcomes (Broton et al, 2014;Crutchfield & Maguire, 2018;Payne-Sturges et al, 2018).…”

“…Statistics alone, however, miss the dire effects of food insecurity. Scholars have explored the negative ramifications of experiencing food insecurity on students’ academics, including an association with lower grade point average (GPA), more frequent course withdrawal, or not purchasing the necessary textbooks (A. Anderson et al, 2022; Dubick et al, 2016).…”

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

“…Unfortunately, a campus having a food pantry does not guarantee that all students experiencing food insecurity will use the resource. Research has indicated that participation in pantries by students varies, and that barriers include factors like perceived stigma and conflicting self-identity, as well as logistical barriers including lack of knowledge about the resource and time conflicts [90,129,130]. To help address these areas, the Hope Center recommends that lecturers add a statement about food security and available resources to their course syllabus [131].…”