The campus food environment and postsecondary student diet: a systematic review

Abstract

Objective: Examine the impact of the campus food environment on postsecondary students’ dietary behaviors (e.g., dietary intake) and food purchasing. Participants: Students currently attending a postsecondary institution, all ages and geographic locations included. Methods: A systematic search from January 2000-October 2022 was conducted in six databases using postsecondary education, food environment, and diet related keywords. Results: In total, 25 quantitative and 10 qualitative studies were extracted. All quantitative studies that conducted statistical analyses (n = 15) reported a statistically significant relationship between the campus food environment and dietary intake, including both positive and negative effects. All qualitative studies (n = 10) discussed students’ experience of the campus food environment influencing their diet. Conclusions: This review found moderate evidence that the campus food environment has an impact on postsecondary students’ dietary behaviors. A campus environment that has healthy foods accessible, affordable, and acceptable for postsecondary students may have a beneficial impact on students’ dietary intake.

Keywords:

• Campus
• diet
• food environment
• postsecondary
• student

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of Canada.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) under project grant #399384; and through trainee support from the Children’s Health Foundation (CHF) provided through the Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. (CHRI). Olivia Caruso is supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.