Food insecurity in California’s public university system: What are the risk factors?

Food insecurity among college students has become a public health concern, yet few studies have examined the sample prevalence in a statewide public university system. We determined the sample prevalence of food insecurity and associated factors among students in a large California university system. In Spring 2015, a sample of graduate and undergraduate students (n = 8705) at 10 University of California campuses completed an online survey of demographic information and a range of student life–related factors, including food access and food security. The majority of participants were undergraduates age 18–24 years; 67% were female. Forty percent experienced food insecurity (42% when weighted). Age, race and ethnicity, childhood food insecurity, and receiving financial aid were risk factors for food insecurity. Food insecure students were more likely than food secure students to face difficulties including insufficient money to purchase food, eating unhealthy food, experiencing food access barriers, difficulty concentrating, and lower academic performance. Food insecurity was high among college students in a California public university system and was associated with factors that may be used to identify students at risk for food insecurity who may benefit from additional information and resources. These findings also provide empirical support to strengthen support systems.