Food security among graduate students in the United States: A scoping review

Objective and background: This scoping review describes the current literature on food insecurity (FI) in graduate students in the United States, with a focus on methodologies. Existing reviews focus on undergraduate or combined student populations. Methods: A systematic search of eight databases for “food insecurity” and “graduate students” in September 2023 yielded 515 unique records. After screening, full-text, and bibliographic review, 37 papers included at least n = 5 graduate students in the sample and presented relevant data beyond FI prevalence. Results: The majority (n = 20, 54.1%) describe quantitative, cross-sectional surveys with multivariable logistic regression, 16 of which (80.0%) with a primary study population of undergraduates. Only nine (24.3%) of papers focused solely on graduate students. Seven (18.9%) described primarily qualitative studies. Sampling and FI measurement methods varied. FI was associated with large amounts of student loans, BIPoC identity, worse mental health, and worse academic performance. Conclusions: The body of research is growing but lacks consistency in sample quality and FI measurement to allow comparisons between studies. There is a lack of mixed methods research.