The Influence of Student Accommodation on Dietary Patterns, Activity and Alcohol Consumption: Experiences From Nmmu

Gresse, Annelie; Steenkamp, Liana; Pietersen, Jacques

doi:10.20853/29-6-535

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…Results from this study at the NMMU indicate that more than 60% of HIV-infected students in the sample experienced some level of food insecurity during the month prior to the interview. This is substantially more than the 36% of NMMU students ( n = 619) that reported skipping meals due to lack of funding according to data in a 2014 online survey (Gresse, Steenkamp & Pietersen 2015 ). Being a HIV-infected student would thus seem to increase the risk of food insecurity, which may create a vicious cycle since food insecurity impacts on both health and well-being.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Food insecurity among students living with HIV: Strengthening safety nets at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, South Africa

Steenkamp

Goosen

Venter

et al. 2016

SAHARA-J: Journal of Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS

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The HIV prevalence in South Africa among students at higher education institutions (HEIs) in 2008 was reported to be 3.4%, with the highest HIV prevalence found in the Eastern Cape Province. Students at these facilities are also increasingly affected by socio-economic constraints that may impact on food security. Little is known about the impact of food insecurity on HIV-infected students in HEIs in South Africa. The purpose of this paper is to describe food insecurity and the nutritional status among HIV-infected students on the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University campuses in South Africa, as well as current initiatives to strengthen the safety nets for food-insecure students. This descriptive, cross-sectional survey was conducted among a convenience sample of known HIV-infected, registered students (n = 63), older than 18 years of age and managed as part of the Campus Health Service antiretroviral therapy (ART) programme. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee (NMMU) and participants were included in the sample after providing written, informed consent. Findings indicate that food insecurity was common with more than 60% of the sample reporting food insecurity at the household level during the previous month. Of the sample, 51% were classified as being either overweight or obese. Although food insecurity did not contribute to weight loss in our sample, food-insecure students were more likely to consume inadequate amounts of vitamins and minerals, especially antioxidants that are important in supporting the immune system. Food insecurity has been identified as affecting the majority of HIV-infected students in this study, especially regarding their difficulty in accessing nutritious foods. As overweight and obesity also seem to threaten the health and future well-being of the students, appropriate management of the overweight individuals and those with obesity should be instituted in order to prevent the development of chronic diseases of lifestyle, thus allowing for a healthier more productive life. Current intervention strategies to strengthen food security have made inroads to improve access to healthier food options.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Food insecurity among students living with HIV: Strengthening safety nets at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, South Africa

Steenkamp

Goosen

Venter

et al. 2016

SAHARA-J: Journal of Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS

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“…The authors argue that food insecurity may be undermining the academic aims of the UKZN access programmes, and affecting throughput and graduation rates (see also Kassier & Veldman, 2013). Furthermore, there is some evidence from a study of student eating and exercise habits at Nelson Mandela University (NMU) to suggest that students living in residence are relatively less healthy than others; but that students do not always make wise choices about what to spend their limited grocery money on (Gresse, Steenkamp, & Pietersen, 2015). Concerns are also raised about the dangers of, and reasons for, student drinking and binge-drinking (Du Preez, Pentz, & Lategan, 2016;Lategan, Du Preez, & Pentz, 2017).…”

Section: Theme 2: Student Health Well-being and Povertymentioning

confidence: 99%

Higher Education Pathways

Jackson

2019

JIMPHE

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“…The issue of alcohol consumption is a serious issue among the youth, specifically university students whose success is reliant upon achieving their academic goals and a stable social life; ergo, the impact alcohol consumption has on students can be dire and needs to be fully understood. There are a host of negative effects associated with alcohol consumption including, inter alia, risky sexual behavior, long-term health problems, physical inactivity, deterioration of mental well-being, and ultimately reduced academic performance [ 8 , 11 , 14 , 16 ]. Academic performance is the premise of success within these institutions and a chance to better the students’ livelihoods; hence, academic performance being disrupted leads to a high rate of dropouts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Analysis of the Prevalence and Factors Influencing Food Insecurity among University Students Participating in Alcohol Consumption in KwaZulu-Natal Province

Jilajila

Ngidi

Hlatshwayo

et al. 2023

IJERPH

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Food insecurity among the student population is a prominent issue in South African university institutions. However, personal experiences and the myriad of underlying factors contributing to the issue remain poorly documented. Among other factors, these universities are characterized by the admission of a majority of their student population from poor backgrounds with limited financial capabilities, and this affects their food security status. The purpose of this study was to view the patterns of food insecurity among students, with a focus on alcohol consumption as one of the various factors influencing student food security status. Data were collected from 156 student respondents from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban University of Technology, Mangosuthu University of Technology, and the University of Zululand. The Household Food Insecurity Access Scale revealed that from the total sample, only 21.79% reported themselves as food secure, whilst the remainder reported varying levels of food insecurity with 17.31% of students being food insecure, 16.03% mildly food insecure, and 44.87% severely food insecure. On the other hand, a prevalence of 73.08% (n = 114) of alcohol consumption was found among the sampled students. Ordered probit models results suggested that students’ alcohol consumption prevalence was determined by gender, level of study, exercise/playing sport, marital status, and distance to campus, which all had statistically significant effects on students’ alcohol consumption. Most crucially, gender, institution and campus positively affected students’ food security status, while the income variable made a negative significant contribution towards student food security status. Therefore, a link between students’ finances and food insecurity was evident. However, further research is required to delve into the link between the level and impact of students’ alcohol consumption and its implications on their financial status, and thus food security status. This is crucial information which will help policymakers understand these underlying factors and experiences and thus find solutions for issues related with food insecurity.

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The Influence of Student Accommodation on Dietary Patterns, Activity and Alcohol Consumption: Experiences From Nmmu

Cited by 4 publications

References 0 publications

Food insecurity among students living with HIV: Strengthening safety nets at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, South Africa

Food insecurity among students living with HIV: Strengthening safety nets at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, South Africa

Higher Education Pathways

An Analysis of the Prevalence and Factors Influencing Food Insecurity among University Students Participating in Alcohol Consumption in KwaZulu-Natal Province

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