Document Tag: food insecurity

The Cumulative Impact of Unmet Essential Needs on Indicators of Attrition: Findings from a Population-Based Sample of Public University Students in the Bronx, NY (2023)

In recent decades, a growing proportion of college students have experienced nancial stress, resulting in unmet essential needs including food insecurity, housing instability, lack of healthcare access, and inadequate mental health treatment. Given that urban-based public universities constitute a substantial proportion of the U.S. college student population, understanding how unmet needs affect academic achievement in this population is crucial for developing strategies that alleviate college failure and dropout. We examined the cumulative impact of unmet essential needs on indicators of college attrition (dropout, leave of absence, risk of academic probation). The sample comprised a population-representative sample of 1,833 students attending one of three urban public colleges in the Bronx, NY. Employing multinomial and binomial logistic regression models, we assessed how total unmet essential needs predicts any indicator of college attrition. Each unit increase in unmet need increased the odds of having any attrition indicator by 32% (p < 0.01). Students with one unmet need had 17% greater odds (p = 0.04), students with two unmet needs had 55% greater odds (p < 0.01), students with three unmet needs had 73% greater odds (p < 0.01), and students with four unmet needs had 82% greater odds (p < 0.01) of having any attrition indicator. Findings revealed a modest dose-response relationship between the number of unmet needs and the likelihood of experiencing indicators of attrition, supporting a potential causal link between unmet needs on the risk of attrition. Designing interventions aimed at college students with multiple unmet essential needs, and addressing these needs holistically, can potentially enhance student retention and graduation rates.

SNEB position paper highlights food and nutrition insecurity among college students (2023)

Action is needed to make measurable differences in food and nutrition security for collegiates. Based on the best evidence currently available, recommendations include, but are not limited to:

High quality research on food insecurity assessment measures and screening tools.
Ongoing national surveillance of food insecurity for college students.
More rigorous research for inference on how it impacts health and other outcomes over time.
Intervention for subpopulations that are consistently underserved.
Improved collaboration across disciplines supporting college students.
Investments to scale food assistance programs for those who need them.
Improved awareness of existing resources available to students who experience food insecurity.
More emphasis on the unique needs of emerging adult health.

Cash, food, or vouchers? Evidence from a randomized experiment in northern Ecuador (2014)

We assess the impacts and cost-effectiveness of cash, vouchers and food transfers.

•All modalities significantly improve the quantity and quality of food consumed.

•Food leads to significantly larger increases in calories consumed.

•Vouchers lead to significantly larger increases in dietary diversity.

•Food is the least cost-effective means of improving food security outcomes.

The Design and Testing of a Text Message for Use as an Informational Nudge in a Novel Food Insecurity Intervention (2023)

Food insecurity is an ongoing problem in the U.S. with implications for health problems and social disadvantages. Past food insecurity intervention studies have targeted barriers to accessing healthy food. However, information barriers have not been adequately addressed by food insecurity interventions. This research included the first phase of a two-phase feasibility study that involved testing a text message as an informational nudge through interviews among a small, preliminary sample of adults in the southwest U.S. (n = 10). Interview questions focused on the message content, persuasiveness, relevancy, clarity, and details that participants liked and disliked. A qualitative content analysis of interview responses then highlighted any necessary modifications to the text message. Interview responses highlighted that the message conveyed details about how to access food assistance resources. The message was perceived as informative, clear, and friendly. Participants highlighted the need for better spacing in the message layout, more details about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and a better explanation for why SNAP is relevant. Text message readability, relevancy, and informativeness were common concerns raised during interviews. Participant-informed modifications to the text message were applied in preparation for using the message in a food insecurity intervention. This research is a novel contribution to the extant literature on nudges, as no known intervention study has used informational nudges to exclusively promote food security. Future food insecurity research efforts should similarly test novel interventions to ensure the intervention is acceptable and relevant for the target population.

Addressing Food Insecurity on Campus: Connecting Students with Basic Needs Supports to Improve Academic Outcomes (2023)

This report highlights the efforts of four Arkansas community colleges to address students’ basic
needs by transforming their campus food pantries from supplemental food distribution centers to
basic needs hubs connecting students to a broad array of additional, more sustained basic needs
supports.
Drawing on college administrative data, this study assesses the benefits of this basic needs hub
model on students’ academic success. Results from regression analyses point to notable academic
benefits. Specifically:
• Students accessing the basic needs hub are 6 to 8 percentage points more likely
than students not accessing the hub to be enrolled one semester and one year later,
and to earn a credential.
• Low-income students, adult students, and students of color are more likely to access
basic needs hubs, driven by colleges’ targeted outreach efforts to key student
groups.
• The notable academic benefits of the basic needs hub are present for Pell recipients,
for adults, and for students of color – with especially high proportional increases in
credential attainment for students of color who access the hubs.