Filling a Need: Sociodemographic and Educational Characteristics Among Student Clients of a University-Based Campus Food Bank

The objective of this study was to characterize student clients of a campus-based food bank (CFB) and compare student clients with the greater population of university students. Cross-sectional data from electronic records of students who accessed the CFB at the University of Alberta were used. Most student clients studied full-time (94.4%), lived alone (67.6%), were Canadian (67.0%), were undergraduates (66.1%), and were female (58.8%). Many (17.3%) had children. Compared to the total University of Alberta population, CFB clients were older and more likely to be international, graduate, and full-time students. CFB student clients are distinct from the general student population and may be at increased risk of food insufficiency.