Toward a deeper understanding of food insecurity among college students: examining associations with emotional eating and biological sex

The present study sought to extend our understanding of food insecurity among college students, including aims to replicate the high prevalence of food insecurity among college student samples, examine the food insecurity - emotional eating association, and determine whether biological sex moderates...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of American college health 2023-07, Vol.71 (5), p.1463-1471
Main Authors: Frank, Miranda L., Sprada, Giane B., Hultstrand, Kara V., West, Caroline E., Livingston, Jessica A., Sato, Amy F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Associations
At Risk Persons
Biological sex differences
Body Composition
Body mass index
College students
Correlation
Eating behavior
emotional eating
Emotional Response
Ethnicity
food insecurity
Food security
Gender Differences
Hunger
Insecurity
Instructional Program Divisions
Racial Differences
Risk factors
Sexes
Undergraduate Students
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Summary:The present study sought to extend our understanding of food insecurity among college students, including aims to replicate the high prevalence of food insecurity among college student samples, examine the food insecurity - emotional eating association, and determine whether biological sex moderates this association. Participants included 232 students (82.3% female; 83.2% Caucasian) enrolled at a U.S. university. Participants completed the Household Food Security Survey Module: Short Form and Emotional Eating Scale as part of a larger study. Of the participants, 37.5% reported food insecurity. Food insecurity was positively associated with emotional eating (B = 1.35, 95% CI[0.24, 2.48]), controlling for body mass index (BMI). The association was stronger for males (95% CI[1.07, 6.54]) than females (95% CI[-0.29, 2.07]). College students, particularly males, who experience food insecurity may be at greater risk for emotional eating. Future research should investigate risk factors linked to both food insecurity and emotional eating among college students.
ISSN:0744-8481
1940-3208
DOI:10.1080/07448481.2021.1936536