The current soaring cost of living is particularly evident at the grocery store. Food insecurity is more prevalent among the student population than in the rest of the active population and affected, even before the COVID-19 pandemic and the inflationary context, almost 30 to 40% of students (Laban & al., 2020).

Yet the student population is still rarely identified as vulnerable to food insecurity, and is not given proper attention in provincial and federal food security policies (Bottorff & al., 2020).

Food insecurity can have a major impact on success, particularly in terms of psychological distress (Hattangadi & al., 2021; Maynard & al., 2018). 

The Effects of Food Insecurity on Success

Students who report experiencing food insecurity would be nearly three times more likely to suffer from depression and nearly twice as likely to have an anxiety disorder, compared to those who enjoy food security (Bruening & al., 2016). Students experiencing food insecurity are also three times more likely to have postponed their studies due to financial difficulties (Gallegos & al., 2014).

Three circles are placed horizontally side by side and linked by arrows. The first contains a plate with a bite taken from it, and a knife and fork on either side of the plate. Under this circle is written Food insecurity: higher risk for some students. The circle in the center contains a head seen in profile with a cloud and lightning bolt above it. Under this circle is written Stress and psychological distress: increased vulnerability to depression and anxiety symptoms. The last circle contains a graduation cap with a forbidden sign. Under this circle is written Impact on success: increases the risk of dropping out of school.

While the link between stress and success is well documented (Moissac & al., 2020), the link between stress, financial difficulties and food insecurity is yet to be documented. Around 20% of the student population are said to feel “a lot of stress” in connection with their financial difficulties (Herlick & Martins, 2023).

In general, a good-quality diet is associated with better mental health in terms of depression, anxiety, stress and overall mental well-being (Solomou & al., 2023). Conversely, anxiety and stress as experienced by students are associated with a poorer-quality diet.

Food insecurity can cause the following: 

  • Reduced ability to focus due to hunger and chronic stress (Hanbazaza & al., 2021);
  • Poor mental and physical health (Frank, 2018; INSPQ, 2018) and psychological distress (Hattangadi & al., 2021);
  • Reduced time for study and social life (Frank, 2018);
  • Lower grades (Maroto & al., 2015);
  • An increase in course failures and dropouts (Gallegos & al., 2014).

Students who experience food insecurity would be almost half as likely to obtain a bachelor’s degree, and even less likely to obtain a master’s degree (up to 61%) (Wolfson & al., 2022).   

Graduating from university is particularly difficult for those whose parents and grandparents had no university education. Therefore, food insecurity is a major barrier to completing a higher education degree, particularly for first-generation students (ibid.).

Initiatives to foster food security among college and university students

  • Solidarity grocery stores offering students a variety of fresh produce (Fédération des associations générales étudiantes, n.d.).
  • On-campus cooking workshops to develop basic culinary skills (Couturier, 2019).
  • Workshops for the international student population on budgeting, cooking and grocery shopping (Hanbazaza & al., 2021).
  • Community fridges to distribute surpluses to members of the student community (Cégep de Rimouski, 2023; Cégep Limoilou, 2023).
  • Emergency cupboards including foodstuffs for quick consumption in case of unforeseen circumstances (El Zein & al., 2018).
  • Urban agriculture and community gardens on campuses to gain food autonomy (Savoie-Roskos & al., 2023; Zhou & al., 2023).
  • Collaborative labs created with municipalities (e.g. the Guelph Lab) to meet targeted needs in specific contexts (Thorkelson, 2023).
  • Programs that rely on student cafés, cafeterias or on-campus grocery stores (e.g., the UBC Food Hub) to promote both quality and accessible food as well as belongingness (ibid.).
  • Short supply circuits to keep products fresh and create a bond with the surrounding community.
  • Involvement of institutions’ staff to ensure the sustainability of initiatives despite the departure of engaged student graduates (Thorkelson, 2023).

The recent StudentVu survey (Herlick & Martins, 2023) of 481 students with diverse profiles also highlights food insecurity among Canadian students.

Four situations of food insecurity are represented in the form of four series of five silhouettes. The number of silhouettes that are coloured in the series of five corresponds to the proportion of students who have experienced it, out of 5. A coloured circle with the percentage represented appears to the right of each series of five silhouettes. The first situation is Having to borrow money from family or friends. Two silhouettes are coloured, representing 39%. The second situation is Having to skip meals or eat less to avoid running out of food. One silhouette is coloured, representing 21%. The third situation is Not being able to afford balanced or healthy meals. One silhouette is coloured, representing 20%. The fourth situation is Being short of money and unable to meet their daily expenses. One silhouette is coloured, representing 18%.

Courses of Action to Foster Food Security among the Student Population

For Student Life Services

  • Raise awareness among the entire college or university community — student population, teachers/professors, administrative and professional staff, members of management, etc. — about financial insecurity and distress, and about the ways in which they manifest themselves in different student groups (Savoie-Roskos & al., 2023).
  • Take into account, in individual or group interventions, students’ financial insecurity, including the psychological distress and chronic stress that may be associated with it (Maynard & al., 2018).
  • Continue to offer access to food banks, while recognizing their limited potential to reduce financial hardship upstream (Hanbazaza & al., 2021; Thorkelson, 2023).
  • Pay special attention to students at increased risk of food insecurity, including those from foreign countries, from low socio-economic backgrounds, with disabilities, first-generation higher education students, those identifying with ethnocultural minorities and those with dependents (Bottorff & al., 2020; Savoie-Roskos & al., 2023).
  • Inform the entire student community of existing campus resources, including mental and physical health services (Savoie-Roskos & al., 2023).
  • Partner with public health and campus departments/faculties (nutrition, agriculture, etc.) to involve different stakeholders in food security initiatives (Savoie-Roskos & al., 2023).

For Institution Administrations and Members of Management

  • Recognize the role of higher education institutions in reducing socio-economic inequalities among students – inequities that have a clear impact on food security – to ensure success for all (Brunet, 2022; Laban & al., 2020).
  • Produce a strategic plan including institutional policies, programs and measures to curb food insecurity among the student population (Savoie-Roskos & al., 2023).
  • Prioritize an interdisciplinary perspective to create a global student culture of health on campuses, including food security (public health, nutrition, consumer sciences, psychology, social work, etc.) (Savoie-Roskos & al., 2023).

For the ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur

  • Significantly increase allowable food-related expenses in student financial assistance.
  • Use the concept of “viable income” to assess the income needed to achieve a dignified standard of living, beyond just covering basic needs (Couturier & al., 2023).

References

Bottorff, J. L., Hamilton, C., Huisken, A. & Taylor, D. (2020). Correlates of Food Insecurity Among Undergraduate Students. Canadian Journal of Higher Education / Revue canadienne d’enseignement supérieur, 50(2), 15‑23. https://doi.org/10.47678/cjhe.v50i2.188699 

Bruening, M., Brennhofer, S., van Woerden, I., Todd, M. & Laska, M. (2016). Factors Related to the High Rates of Food Insecurity among Diverse, Urban College Freshmen. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 116(9), 1450‑1457. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2016.04.004 

Brunet, T. A. (2022, 22 décembre). Universities and colleges want to enrol more students. But where are they supposed to live? The Conversation. http://theconversation.com/universities-and-colleges-want-to-enrol-more-students-but-where-are-they-supposed-to-live-195624 

Cégep de Rimouski. (2023, 7 mars). Des « FRIGO RIKI » inaugurés au Cégep de Rimouski et à l’Institut maritime du Québec. https://www.cegep-rimouski.qc.ca/nouvelles/frigo-riki-cegep-de-rimouski-institut-maritime-du-quebec 

Cégep Limoilou. (2023, 31 janvier). Un frigo-partage pour contrer le gaspillage alimentaire au Cégep Limoilou. https://www.cegeplimoilou.ca/blogue/vie-etudiante/2023/un-frigo-partage-pour-contrer-le-gaspillage-alimentaire-au-cegep-limoilou/ 

Couturier, C. (2019, 4 janvier). Répondre à l’insécurité alimentaire par une invitation à cuisiner. Affaires universitaires. https://www.affairesuniversitaires.ca/actualites/actualites-article/repondre-a-linsecurite-alimentaire-par-une-invitation-a-cuisiner/ 

Couturier, E.-L., Nguyen, M. & Labrie, V. (2023). Le revenu viable 2023 : dans la spirale de l’inflation et des baisses d’impôt. Institut de recherche et d’informations socioéconomiques. https://iris-recherche.qc.ca/publications/revenu-viable-2023/#Cout_de_la_vie_pour_un_menage_dune_personne_seule 

El Zein, A., Matthews, A. E., House, L. & Shelnutt, K. P. (2018). Why Are Hungry College Students Not Seeking Help? Predictors of and Barriers to Using an On-Campus Food Pantry. Nutrients, 10(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10091163 

Fédération des associations générales étudiantes. (s. d.). AGORAé : des épiceries solidaires en milieu étudiant. https://www.fage.org/innovation-sociale/solidarite-etudiante/agorae-fage/ 

Frank, L. (2018). “Hungry for an Education”: Prevalence and Outcomes of Food Insecurity Among Students at a Primarily Undergraduate University in Rural Nova Scotia. Canadian Journal of Higher Education / Revue canadienne d’enseignement supérieur, 48(2), 109‑129. https://doi.org/10.7202/1057106ar 

Gallegos, D., Ramsey, R. et Ong, K. W. (2014). Food insecurity: is it an issue among tertiary students? Higher Education, 67(5), 497‑510. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-013-9656-2 

Hanbazaza, M., Kebbe, M., Perez, A., Ball, G. D., Farmer, A. P., Maximova, K. & Willows, N. D. (2021). Food Insecurity Among International Post-Secondary Students Studying on a Canadian Campus: A Qualitative Description Study. Canadian Journal of Higher Education / Revue canadienne d’enseignement supérieur, 51(2), 33‑45. https://doi.org/10.47678/cjhe.vi0.188977 

Hattangadi, N., Vogel, E., Carroll, L. & Côté, P. (2021). Is Food Insecurity Associated with Psychological Distress in Undergraduate University Students? A Cross Sectional Study. Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition, 16(1), 133‑148. https://doi.org/10.1080/19320248.2019.1658679 

Herlick, K. & Martins, N. (2023, 28 février). Understanding undergraduate students’ financial wellness. Academica Forum. https://forum.academica.ca/forum/understanding-undergraduate-students-financial-wellness 

INSPQ. (2018). Les inégalités sociales de santé au Québec – L’insécurité alimentaire. https://www.inspq.qc.ca/santescope/suivre-les-inegalites-sociales-de-sante-au-quebec/insecurite-alimentaire 

Laban, S., Jackson, E., Maynard, M. & Loring, P. (2020, 12 juin). Insécurité alimentaire chez les étudiants : un problème avant, pendant et après la pandémie. Affaires universitaires. https://www.affairesuniversitaires.ca/opinion/a-mon-avis/insecurite-alimentaire-chez-les-etudiants-un-probleme-avant-pendant-et-apres-la-pandemie/ 

Maroto, M., Snelling, A. & Linck, H. (2015). Food Insecurity Among Community College Students: Prevalence and Association With Grade Point Average. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 39(6), 515‑526. https://doi.org/10.1080/10668926.2013.850758 

Maynard, M. S., Meyer, S. B., Perlman, C. M. & Kirkpatrick, S. I. (2018). Experiences of Food Insecurity Among Undergraduate Students: “You Can’t Starve Yourself Through School”. Canadian Journal of Higher Education / Revue canadienne d’enseignement supérieur, 48(2), 130‑148. https://doi.org/10.7202/1057107ar 

Moissac, D. de, Graham, J. M., Prada, K., Gueye, N. R. & Rocque, R. (2020). Mental Health Status and Help-Seeking Strategies of International Students in Canada. Canadian Journal of Higher Education / Revue canadienne d’enseignement supérieur, 50(4), 52‑71. https://doi.org/10.47678/cjhe.vi0.188815 

Savoie-Roskos, M. R., Hood, L. B., Hagedorn-Hatfield, R. L., Landry, M. J., Patton-López, M. M., Richards, R., Vogelzang, J. L., Qamar, Z., OoNorasak, K. & Mann, G. (2023). Creating a culture that supports food security and health equity at higher education institutions. Public Health Nutrition, 26(3), 503‑509. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980022002294 

Solomou, S., Logue, J., Reilly, S. & Perez-Algorta, G. (2023). A systematic review of the association of diet quality with the mental health of university students: implications in health education practice. Health Education Research, 38(1), 28‑68. https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cyac035 

Thorkelson, E. (2023, 1 mars). Insécurité alimentaire : en quête de solutions durables. Affaires universitaires. https://www.affairesuniversitaires.ca/articles-de-fond/article/insecurite-alimentaire-en-quete-de-solutions-durables/ 

Wolfson, J. A., Insolera, N., Cohen, A. & Leung, C. W. (2022). The effect of food insecurity during college on graduation and type of degree attained: evidence from a nationally representative longitudinal survey. Public Health Nutrition, 25(2), 389‑397. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980021003104 

Zhou, Y., Wei, C. & Zhou, Y. (2023). How Does Urban Farming Benefit Participants? Two Case Studies of the Garden City Initiative in Taipei. Land, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/land12010055