TY - JOUR
T1 - Campus Food Pantry Use Is Linked to Better Health Among Public University Students
AU - Martinez, Suzanna M.
AU - Chodur, Gwen M.
AU - Esaryk, Erin E.
AU - Kaladijian, Sevan
AU - Ritchie, Lorrene D.
AU - Grandner, Michael
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was funded by the University of California (UC) Basic Needs Initiative (PI, Suzanna M. Martinez). The authors wish to thank the study participants, UC Irvine Center for Educational Partnerships, UC Basic Needs co-chairs and coordinators (Ruben E. Canedo and Tim Galarneau), and UC Institution for Research and Academic Planning.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior
PY - 2022/6
Y1 - 2022/6
N2 - Objective: To examine retrospectively whether access to a campus food pantry (CFP) is related to improvements in sleep, mental health, and physical health among college students in a public university system. Design: Retrospective, cross-sectional study of student CFP users who completed an online survey in the summer of 2019. Setting: Ten-campus University of California system. Participants: A total of 1,855 students completed the survey. Main variables measured: Students reported the number of CFP visits in a usual week or month. Students retrospectively rated their perceived health, depressive symptoms, and sleep sufficiency before and after having food pantry access. The difference between pre- and post-food pantry access responses was calculated. Analysis: Path analysis was used to examine direct and indirect paths of the relationship between CFP visits with self-reported changes in depressive symptoms and perceived health through positive changes in self-reported sleep sufficiency, controlling for sociodemographic factors. Results: More monthly CFP visits were directly related to decreased depressive symptoms and improved perceived health (βdepressive = 0.10, P < 0.001; βhealth = 0.12, P < 0.001). In addition, more CFP visits were related to improved sleep sufficiency (β = 0.09, P = 0.001), which in turn was related to a decrease in depressive symptoms (β = 0.24, P = 0.001; indirect effect: 0.02, P < 0.01) and improved perceived health (β = 0.23, P < 0.001; indirect effect: 0.02, P < 0.01). Conclusions and Implications: Findings suggest that college campus emergency food access is associated with self-reported improvements in student health outcomes associated with food security. Until more long-term solutions that improve college student nutrition are developed, food pantries may be filling a gap.
AB - Objective: To examine retrospectively whether access to a campus food pantry (CFP) is related to improvements in sleep, mental health, and physical health among college students in a public university system. Design: Retrospective, cross-sectional study of student CFP users who completed an online survey in the summer of 2019. Setting: Ten-campus University of California system. Participants: A total of 1,855 students completed the survey. Main variables measured: Students reported the number of CFP visits in a usual week or month. Students retrospectively rated their perceived health, depressive symptoms, and sleep sufficiency before and after having food pantry access. The difference between pre- and post-food pantry access responses was calculated. Analysis: Path analysis was used to examine direct and indirect paths of the relationship between CFP visits with self-reported changes in depressive symptoms and perceived health through positive changes in self-reported sleep sufficiency, controlling for sociodemographic factors. Results: More monthly CFP visits were directly related to decreased depressive symptoms and improved perceived health (βdepressive = 0.10, P < 0.001; βhealth = 0.12, P < 0.001). In addition, more CFP visits were related to improved sleep sufficiency (β = 0.09, P = 0.001), which in turn was related to a decrease in depressive symptoms (β = 0.24, P = 0.001; indirect effect: 0.02, P < 0.01) and improved perceived health (β = 0.23, P < 0.001; indirect effect: 0.02, P < 0.01). Conclusions and Implications: Findings suggest that college campus emergency food access is associated with self-reported improvements in student health outcomes associated with food security. Until more long-term solutions that improve college student nutrition are developed, food pantries may be filling a gap.
KW - food insecurity
KW - health
KW - mental health
KW - sleep
KW - student support services
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jneb.2022.03.001
DO - 10.1016/j.jneb.2022.03.001
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85130606092
SN - 1499-4046
VL - 54
SP - 491
EP - 498
JO - Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior
JF - Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior
IS - 6
ER -