Food Insecurity

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK experiences a rise in food insecurity with food banks being accessed by as many as one in 10 families [1]. Much of the media coverage has focused on the associated increase in child poverty. This is unsurprising as in October 2020 over 1.6 million pupils were eligible for free school meals, up from 1.4 million the year before [2]. The campaign #EndChildFoodPoverty launched by Marcus Rashford dramatically magnified awareness of this issue [3]. Despite this, I have seen little coverage about the effect of food insecurity in university students. This article aims to raise awareness about this issue and hopes to inspire you to want to learn more about it and facilitate changes at your universities.

 
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What is food insecurity?

Food insecurity is defined as the lack of constant physical, social, economic access to food that is safe and allows one to meet their nutritional needs and lead a healthy life [4, 5]. Examples of characteristics of food insecurity include, worrying about running out of food, being unable to eat nutritious food, eating a limited variety of foods or skipping meal due to a lack of accessibility [6].

Why are university students affected by food insecurity?

Many factors affect why students experience food insecurity. Generally, university students may be at an increased risk due to a lack of financial resources and increased autonomy coupled with a lack of financial experience, an increased cost of living and the price of on campus food outlets [7, 8]. As COVID-19 increased food insecurity nationally, it too had a negative impact on university students. As many students rely on income from term-time employment, the termination of many jobs due to the pandemic was particularly harmful to this population group [9]. The Food Insecurity and Lived Experience of Students (FILES) report examined the experiences of food insecurity in over 1,200 students in the UK and the USA [10]. It reported that an alarming 35% of students experienced high or very high levels of food insecurity and 41% of students experienced concern that their food would run out [11].

 
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How does food insecurity affect university students?

Research on food insecure adults have reported health consequences including a decreased nutrient intake and increased mental health issues such as depression. Studies examining students specifically reported fair, poor or very poor overall health, reduced energy levels, feelings of stigmatisation, isolation, symptoms of depression and impacts on academic performance and concentration [12, 13]. It was also reported that these students may be more likely to reduce their course load or drop out of university altogether [14].

 
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My opinion

There continues to be an unfair advantage to those that have more income than those with lower income and this is a gap that needs closing. If food insecure students are more likely to experience reduced academic performance and drop out of university, the disparities in equal opportunities across those from different socio-economic backgrounds will continue to grow. Besides, completing a degree is hard and stressful enough without having to worry about getting enough food and it is unjust that anyone should have to experience this added pressure. Not everyone is aware of the severity of food insecurity in university students which makes it a topic that needs to be talked about. I believe one of the best ways we can facilitate change is by educating ourselves about these hardships. I am fortunate enough to not have personal experience in food insecurity, however, I am passionate about spreading its awareness. I am currently working as a research assistant intern at Edge Hill University, and I am working on a project about student’s experiences of food insecurity and term-time employment at university. This is an area that will truly benefit from more research to enable universities and government to better understand the scale of the issue, and as a result, improve support for students that enables them to reach their full potential.

 
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If you are currently a student at a UK university and you would like to take part in this food insecurity research, please read our research opportunities.

 
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Support

There are opportunities for students to seek help from their universities if they themselves are experiencing food insecurity. Some universities do offer hardship funds for those that have financial challenges. If you have been experiencing money problems or food insecurity and you would like support with this or how to cope with the worries it has caused you, you can access support via the services listed below.  


Money advice:  

  1. Budgeting support https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/budgeting-forcollege-or-university   

  2. Student finance: https://www.gov.uk/student-finance   

Wellbeing and mental health:  

  1. Mental health advice: https://www.savethestudent.org/save-money/health/mentalhealth-at-university.html   

  2. The Samaritans: The Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 (free from any phone) or you can text them on 07725 909090. They are available 24 4 / 14 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  

Food budgeting and cooking  

  1. Saving money on food: https://www.savethestudent.org/save-money/food-drink   

  2. Supermarket shopping tips https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/cheapsupermarket-shopping/?_ga=1.164498679.916188499.1477649924   

  3. Student recipes and cooking resources: Student Eats https://studentrecipes.com/

     

 
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References:

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/aug/12/coronavirus-lockdown-hits-nutritional-health-of-uks-poorest

[2] https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/free-school-meals-autumn-term/2020-21-autumn-term

[3] https://endchildfoodpoverty.org/

[4] ACEVES-MARTINS, M., CRUICKSHANK, M., FRASER, C., & BRAZZELLI, M., 2018. Child food insecurity in the UK: a rapid review. NIHR Journals Library.

[5] EL ZEIN, A., SHELNUTT, K.P., COLBY, S. et al., 2019. Prevalence and correlates of food insecurity among U.S. college students: a multi-institutional study. BMC Public Health [online]. 19, 660. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-6943-6 [Accessed June 4 2021]

[6] FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANISATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS., 2013. The Food Insecurity Experience Scale. Development of a Global Standard for Monitoring Hunger Worldwide [online]. Available from: http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/ess/voh/FIES_Technical_Paper_v1.1.pdf [Accessed June 14 2021]

[7] EL ZEIN, A., SHELNUTT, K.P., COLBY, S. et al., 2019. Prevalence and correlates of food insecurity among U.S. college students: a multi-institutional study. BMC Public Health [online]. 19, 660. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-6943-6 [Accessed June 4 2021]

[8] ROY, R., SOO, D., CONROY, D., WALL, C. R., and SWINBURN, B., 2019. Exploring University Food Environment and On-Campus Food Purchasing Behaviors, Preferences, and Opinions. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior [online]. 51 (7), pp. 865–875. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2019.03.003 [Accessed June 4 2021]

[9] DENNIS, C., LEMON, J., and LOUCA, V., 2018. Term-time Employment and Student Attainment in Higher Education. Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice. 6 (1), pp. 28–38.

[10] https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/jun/16/university-students-who-work-part-time-need-support-or-they-will-drop-out

[11] DEFEYTER, G., STRETESKY, P., LONG, M., FUREY, S., REYNOLDS, C., DODDS, A., PORTEOUS, D., MANN, E.J., STRETESKY, C., KEMP, A., FOX, J. and MCANALLEN, A., 2020. Food Insecurity and Lived Experience of Students (FILES). London, UK: Parliament.

[12] PAYNE-STURGES, D. C., TJADEN, A., CALDEIRA, K. M., VINCENT, K. B., and ARRIA, A. M., 2018. Student Hunger on Campus: Food Insecurity Among College Students and Implications for Academic Institutions. American Journal of Health Promotion : AJHP [online]. 32 (2), pp. 349–354. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890117117719620 [Accessed June 14 2021]

[13] MAYNARD, M. S., MEYER, S. B., PERLMAN, C. M., and KIRKPATRICK, S. I., 2018. Experiences of Food Insecurity Among Undergraduate Students: “You Can’t Starve Yourself Through School”. Canadian Journal of Higher Education [online]. 48 (2), pp. 130-148. Available from: https://journals.sfu.ca/cjhe/index.php/cjhe/article/view/188121/pdf [Accessed June 14 2021]

[14] GALLEGOS, D., RAMSEY, R. and ONG, K.W., 2014. Food insecurity: is it an issue among tertiary students?. Higher Education [online]. 67, pp. 497–510. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-013-9656-2 [Accessed June 14 2021]

Lia Thorpe

Lia is a third year and almost graduate Nutrition and Health student and research assistant intern.

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