Food insecurity at Rutgers New Brunswick: three investigations into the personal, academic, and institutional factors that affect the persistence of food insecure students in higher education
Creators: name: Brescia, Stephanie
Publisher: name: No Publisher Supplied
Year: 2020

description: Food insecurity, or the lack of consistent access to enough food for active, healthy living (Coleman-Jensen, Rabbitt, Gregory, &amp; Singh, 2019), is becoming more prevalent on college and university campuses across the country. At Rutgers, New Brunswick (RUNB), 36.9% of undergraduate and 32.1% of graduate students are food insecure (Cuite, Brescia, Porterfield, Weintraub, &amp; Wilson, 2018), warranting a deeper investigation of this phenomenon. Consisting of three distinct research manuscripts, the purpose of this dissertation is to examine food insecurity at RUNB and understand (1) the lived experience and help-seeking behaviors of food insecure students (2) the predictors and characteristics of students who are marginally food secure and (3) the factors that influence students’ likelihood of using a campus food pantry. All research took place at RUNB and the contributions of each manuscript advance the study of college student food insecurity in unique ways. The first study (chapter two), utilized grounded theory methodology to understand how students become campus pantry clients. In-depth interviews were conducted with a sample (n=17) of food insecure students that used the Rutgers Student Food Pantry (RSFP), and a process of campus pantry use emerged. Peer social relationships were of critical importance, helping students learn about and get connected to the pantry. Further, peers were influential in helping students address and overcome the social stigma that is associated with the use of a campus food pantry. Findings suggest that in addition to providing students with food resources, colleges and universities must also work to dispel the social stigma connected to these services. In the second manuscript (chapter three), survey data from a large (n=6,823) cross-sectional study of RUNB undergraduate students were analyzed to more completely understand students who experience marginal food security. Individuals who are marginally food secure experience food anxiety, or worry that their food supply may run out (USDA, 2019a), yet they are still considered to be food secure as per USDA measurement and reporting standards. Multinomial logistic regression was used to investigate the differences between students with marginal food security and those with high, low, or very low food security regarding demographics, mechanisms of financing education, and cumulative GPA. Findings reveal similarities and differences based on food security status. Marginally food secure students have statistically lower GPAs than their highly food secure peers, but statistically similar GPAs to students with low food security. Results indicate that even worry over one’s food supply is associated with negative academic outcomes that are commonly seen in food insecure students. Colleges and universities must acknowledge the needs of this demographic and work to proactively connect marginally food secure students to institutional resources. Manuscript three (chapter four), investigates the factors that influence pantry use among students at RUNB. Survey (n=82) and interview (n=8) data were analyzed to more completely understand why food insecure students do not use the campus pantry. Results of the Fisher’s Exact Test uncovered statistically significant differences between pantry users and non-users in regard to viewing the pantry as easy to locate, feeling the pantry has convenient hours, and believing the pantry is worth the effort to visit. Qualitative data from responses to an open-ended survey question and in-depth interviews with eight food insecure students revealed that in addition to logistical barriers, students do not use the RSFP due to social stigma, feeling that their food situation is not severe enough to warrant resource use, viewing the pantry as a last resort, and not wanting to ask for food assistance. This study is replete with implications for practice, emphasizing the need to remove the logistical barriers that thwart pantry use and dispel the myths that are commonly associated with the use of food resources. Collectively, this research provides a more complete understanding of student food insecurity at RUNB. Investigations reveal how food insecure students interact and engage with the collegiate environment, providing important information about the factors that contribute to the success of this student demographic. Results may be limited in generalizability, but this project has practical and applied relevance as it can be used as a framework to study food insecurity at institutions across the country.