https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6567-7376
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Abstract
Objective
This study reports on food insecurity (FI) amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Participants and methods
College students in four regions of the US completed the two-item validated Hunger Vital Sign™ screening tool on Qualtrics.
Results
FI increased significantly after March 2020 among US students (worry about food running out: 25% to 35%; food did not last: 17% to 21%) with significant regional increase in the Midwest and South. An adjusted multivariable logistic regression model indicated students that ran out of food were significantly at greater odds of experiencing hardship with paying bills (AOR: 5.59, 95% CI =3.90-8.06).
Conclusions
The findings identified an increase in the prevalence of FI among college students during the pandemic. Suggestions of how to address FI are discussed.
Conflict of interest disclosure
The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States of America and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of Duke University.