Socio-Ecological Determinants of Food Pantry Use Among Food Insecure Racial and Ethnic Diverse College Students

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College students are disproportionately more food insecure as compared to the general U.S. population with racial and ethnic minority students at greater risk. The purpose of this study is to explore socio-ecological characteristics of food pantry utilization among food insecure Black/African American non-Hispanic and Hispanic college students employing secondary data analyses of a larger cross-sectional study of food insecurity among college students. The current study sample (n = 460) was comprised of 174 self-identified Black/African American non-Hispanic, 26 Black/African American & Hispanic, and 260 Hispanic participants. Food pantry use served as the dependent variable. Multi-level independent variables included Individual, Interpersonal, and Community Level factors. A multivariate logistic regression model analyzed the relationship between food pantry use and independent variables found to be significant in earlier independent sample t-tests and chi-square analyses. Statistical significance was set at P < .05 and a confidence interval (CI) of 95%. “Saving” coping mechanisms (OR = 1.15, 95% CI [1.082-1.231] and discrimination experiences of day-to-day unfair treatment (OR = 1.04, 95% CI [.1.000-1.077]) were predictive of food pantry utilization. This study suggests food pantry use among food insecure racial and ethnic minority college students may be influenced by socio-cultural influences at both interpersonal and community levels. Implications include interventions developed with a health equity framework.