The COVID-19 Pandemic and University of Oregon Students' Food Security and Eating Behaviors

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorBudd, Elizabeth
dc.contributor.authorCahn, Anna
dc.date.accessioned2021-09-13T18:41:11Z
dc.date.available2021-09-13T18:41:11Z
dc.date.issued2021-09-13
dc.description.abstractFood insecurity is highly prevalent among U.S. college students and is associated with poor eating behaviors, physical and mental health, and academic performance. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused immense income loss in the United States. Income loss is associated with increased food insecurity. Little is known about how college students’ food security and eating behaviors have changed during the pandemic. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess how University of Oregon (UO) students’ food security and eating behaviors changed during the pandemic, as well as mediators of these potential changes between February 2020 and Fall 2020. In Fall 2020, 779 UO students responded to a Qualtrics survey that assessed their demographic characteristics, including undergraduate vs graduate status, international status, race and ethnicity, and sexual orientation, as well as food insecurity (USDA six-item short form food security scale) and eating behaviors (National College Health Assessment). Items asked students to report on these constructs for February 2020 and Fall 2020 (pre and during pandemic). Close to half of respondents reported food insecurity in February 2020 (46.8%) and Fall 2020 (47.3%). When examined by group, change in food security only varied significantly by students’ sexual orientation. LGBQIA+ students reported significantly greater increases in food insecurity from February 2020 to Fall 2020 where heterosexual students had no change (p < .01). Overall, there were no significant changes in any of the eating behaviors between February 2020 and Fall 2020. Change in income partially mediated change in vegetable consumption (p < .001), but no other eating behaviors. Change in food security partially mediated changes in fruit (p < .001), whole grain (p < .001), and protein (p < .001) consumption. These findings provide UO and other college administrators a better understanding of college students’ food security and eating behaviors before and during the pandemic, and can inform future and existing programs to promote food security, and in turn, healthy eating among college students.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1794/26664
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherUniversity of Oregon
dc.rightsAll Rights Reserved.
dc.subjectCollege studentsen_US
dc.subjectCOVID-19en_US
dc.subjectEating behaviorsen_US
dc.subjectFood Insecurityen_US
dc.subjectFood securityen_US
dc.subjectIncomeen_US
dc.titleThe COVID-19 Pandemic and University of Oregon Students' Food Security and Eating Behaviors
dc.typeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation
thesis.degree.disciplineDepartment of Counseling Psychology and Human Services
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Oregon
thesis.degree.leveldoctoral
thesis.degree.namePh.D.

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Cahn_oregon_0171A_13031.pdf
Size:
1.54 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download

Collections

Theses and Dissertations
Counseling Psychology and Human Services Theses and Dissertations