IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v17y2020i21p8268-d442119.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Food Insecurity, Depression, and Race: Correlations Observed Among College Students at a University in the Southeastern United States

Author

Listed:
  • Nicole Reeder

    (Department of Food Science, Nutrition, and Health Promotion, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39762, USA)

  • Pradtana Tapanee

    (Department of Food Science, Nutrition, and Health Promotion, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39762, USA)

  • Anna Persell

    (Department of Food Science, Nutrition, and Health Promotion, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39762, USA)

  • Terezie Tolar-Peterson

    (Department of Food Science, Nutrition, and Health Promotion, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39762, USA)

Abstract

Food insecurity is common among college students in the United States and is associated with poorer health-related outcomes and academic performance. The aims of this study were to assess the prevalence of food insecurity at a large, public university in Mississippi, a state with the second highest rate of food insecurity in the nation, and to examine the associations between food insecurity, depression, and race in this group of students. Food security was measured using the United States Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Survey Module: Six-Item Short Form, and depression was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. In total, 131 students ages 18–24 participated in the study. Food insecurity was present in 38.2% of students surveyed. The odds of food insecurity were higher among African American students compared to Caucasian students (OR = 3.50, 95% CI: 1.38, 8.90). Students with very low food security had 4.52-times greater odds of having depression than food-secure students ( p = 0.011, 95% CI: 1.42, 14.36). Neither body mass index nor body fat percentage were associated with food security status. Further research is needed on strategies to address the risk of depression among food-insecure college students and the racial disparity in food insecurity rates present among college students.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicole Reeder & Pradtana Tapanee & Anna Persell & Terezie Tolar-Peterson, 2020. "Food Insecurity, Depression, and Race: Correlations Observed Among College Students at a University in the Southeastern United States," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-11, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:21:p:8268-:d:442119
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/21/8268/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/21/8268/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Coleman-Jensen, Alisha & Rabbitt, Matthew P. & Gregory, Christian A. & Singh, Anita, 2019. "Household Food Security in the United States in 2018," Economic Research Report 301167, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    2. Vincent L. Mendy & Rodolfo Vargas & Gerri Cannon-Smith & Marinelle Payton & Byambaa Enkhmaa & Lei Zhang, 2018. "Food Insecurity and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors among Mississippi Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-8, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Nor Syaza Sofiah Ahmad & Norhasmah Sulaiman & Mohamad Fazli Sabri, 2021. "Food Insecurity: Is It a Threat to University Students’ Well-Being and Success?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-11, May.
    2. Alice P. Villatoro & Vanessa L. Errisuriz & Melissa J. DuPont-Reyes, 2023. "Mental Health Needs and Services Utilization among Undergraduate and Graduate Students in Texas during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(12), pages 1-19, June.
    3. Nor Syaza Sofiah Ahmad & Norhasmah Sulaiman & Mohamad Fazli Sabri, 2022. "Psychosocial Factors as Mediator to Food Security Status and Academic Performance among University Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-14, May.
    4. Dorceta E. Taylor & Katherine Allison & Tevin Hamilton & Ashley Bell, 2023. "Race, Socioeconomic Status, and Food Access in Two Predominantly White Cities: The Case of Lansing, East Lansing, and Surrounding Townships in Michigan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-49, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jong Eun Park & So Young Kim & Se Hee Kim & Eun Ju Jeoung & Jong Hyock Park, 2020. "Household Food Insecurity: Comparison between Families with and without Members with Disabilities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-16, August.
    2. Denney, Justin T. & Brewer, Mackenzie & Kimbro, Rachel Tolbert, 2020. "Food insecurity in households with young children: A test of contextual congruence," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 263(C).
    3. Di Fang & Michael R. Thomsen & Rodolfo M. Nayga & Wei Yang, 2022. "Food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from a survey of low-income Americans," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 14(1), pages 165-183, February.
    4. Kurtz, Michael D. & Conway, Karen Smith & Mohr, Robert D., 2020. "Weekend feeding (“BackPack”) programs and student outcomes," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    5. Amier Haidar & Christine Markham & Allison Marshall & Ru-Jye Chuang & Meredith Spence & Jennifer Boone & Mike Pomeroy & Rich Dachman & Jaimie N. Davis & Shreela V. Sharma, 2021. "Innovative Partnerships to Address Food Insecurity during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Brighter Bites Produce Voucher Program," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-10, August.
    6. Yue Qin & Douglas A. Sneddon & Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth & Dave Topp & Rena A. Sterrett & Jake R. Newton & Heather A. Eicher-Miller, 2023. "Grit but Not Help-Seeking Was Associated with Food Insecurity among Low Income, At-Risk Rural Veterans," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-14, January.
    7. Kevin M. Fitzpatrick & Don E. Willis, 2021. "Homeless and hungry: food insecurity in the land of plenty," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(1), pages 3-12, February.
    8. Trey Malone & K. Aleks Schaefer & Felicia Wu, 2021. "The Razor's Edge of “Essential” Labor in Food and Agriculture," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 43(1), pages 368-381, March.
    9. Lorraine R. Reitzel & Surya Chinamuthevi & Sajeevika S. Daundasekara & Daphne C. Hernandez & Tzu-An Chen & Yashwant Harkara & Ezemenari M. Obasi & Darla E. Kendzor & Michael S. Businelle, 2020. "Association of Problematic Alcohol Use and Food Insecurity among Homeless Men and Women," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-10, May.
    10. Drieda Zaҫe & Maria Luisa Di Pietro & Laura Reali & Chiara de Waure & Walter Ricciardi, 2021. "Prevalence, socio-economic predictors and health correlates of food insecurity among Italian children- findings from a cross-sectional study," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(1), pages 13-24, February.
    11. Bafowaa, Bridget Y. & Leschewski, Andrea, 2023. "Impact Of COVID-19 Relief Packages on US Household Food Expenditures," 2023 Annual Meeting, July 23-25, Washington D.C. 335676, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    12. Kevin M. Fitzpatrick & Don E. Willis & Matthew L. Spialek & Emily English, 2020. "Food Insecurity in the Post-Hurricane Harvey Setting: Risks and Resources in the Midst of Uncertainty," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-16, November.
    13. Coleman-Jensen, Alisha & Rabbitt, Matthew P & Gregory, Christian A & Singh, Anita, 2020. "Household Food Security in the United States in 2019," Economic Research Report 327207, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    14. Kashyap, Pratyoosh & Jablonski, Becca B. R., 2023. "Diffusion of Universal Free School Meals in the United States: Examining Factors Influencing Adoption of Community Eligibility Provision," 2023 Annual Meeting, July 23-25, Washington D.C. 335700, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    15. Cäzilia Loibl & Wändi Bruine de Bruin & Barbara Summers & Simon McNair & Pieter Verhallen, 2022. "Which financial stressors are linked to food insecurity among older adults in the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands? An exploratory study," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 14(2), pages 533-556, April.
    16. Maryruth Belsey-Priebe & Deborah Lyons & Jonathan J. Buonocore, 2021. "COVID-19′s Impact on American Women’s Food Insecurity Foreshadows Vulnerabilities to Climate Change," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-14, June.
    17. Adam M. Lippert & Barrett A. Lee, 2021. "Adult and Child Food Insecurity Among Homeless and Precariously-Housed Families at the Close of the Twentieth Century," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 40(2), pages 231-253, April.
    18. Agnieszka Poczta-Wajda & Agnieszka Sapa & Sebastian Stępień & Michał Borychowski, 2020. "Food Insecurity among Small-Scale Farmers in Poland," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-24, July.
    19. Helms, Veronica E & Coleman-Jensen, Alisha & Gray, Regina & Brucker, Debra L, 2020. "Household Food Insecurity and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Federal Housing Assistance," Economic Research Report 327205, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    20. Chelsey Kirkland & Na’Tasha Evans & Kamesha Spates & Cedric Mubikayi Kabasele, 2022. "Perceptions of Resettled Refugee Congolese Women: Maintaining Cultural Traditions during Resettlement," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-12, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:21:p:8268-:d:442119. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.