Food Insecurity was Associated With Poorer Sleep Quality and Increased Stress Among Dental Students at a HBCU and a Predominantly White School

Purpose The prevalence of food insecurity (FI) and its associated outcomes among undergraduate students have been widely researched, however studies focusing on FI among professional students are limited. This study investigated the associations between FI, sleep‐related variables, and stress among dental students from predominantly Black and White dental schools in the United States during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods Participants included dental students enrolled at a Historically Black College and University (Howard) and a predominately White (Iowa) dental school in the Fall of 2021. Five sleep‐related and stress outcomes were measured as dichotomous variables. The associations between FI and the outcome variables were assessed using bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses. Results Mean age of the participants was 25.8 ± 3.3 years; 46% reported being food insecure. In a comprehensive multivariable model that included both Howard and Iowa students, FI was a significant ( p < 0.05) predictor of poorer sleep quality and more frequent troublesome sleep. In stratified bivariate analyses, FI was also strongly ( p < 0.05) associated with adverse sleep outcomes at both Howard and Iowa dental schools. Students attending Howard had higher odds of frequent troublesome sleep compared to students attending Iowa (OR = 2.92, 95% CI: 1.17–7.28). Furthermore, FI was significantly ( p < 0.05) associated with higher stress levels across all analyses. Conclusions Our findings are consistent with prior studies reporting associations between FI and poorer sleep outcomes and increased stress in both Black and White dental students.