Food insecurity and academic function among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A moderating role of the first-generation college student status

• Published in: Journal of American college health 2024-12, Vol.72 (9), p.3576-3582
• Main Authors: Umeda, Masataka, Kim, Youngdeok, Park, Se-Woong, Chung, Eunhee, Ullevig, Sarah L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic achievement; academic function; Academic Performance - psychology; Academic Performance - statistics & numerical data; Adolescent; Adult; College students; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - psychology; COVID-19 pandemic; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; first-generation college students; Food Insecurity; Food security; Health status; Healthy food; Humans; Insecurity; Linear analysis; Male; Mental health; Pandemics; Psychological well being; SARS-CoV-2; Students - psychology; Students - statistics & numerical data; Universities - statistics & numerical data; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0744-8481; 1940-3208; 1940-3208
• DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2023.2185076

To examine food insecurity (FI) prevalence among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic (April 2021) using cross-sectional design, and the moderating role of the first-generation student status in the relationship between FI and grade point average (GPA). Three-hundred sixty students recruited mostly from upper-level kinesiology courses General linear model was used to predict GPA based on food security status, psychological health, and bodily pain, with subgroup analysis performed by first-generation student status. Approximately 19% were classified as having FI. Those with FI showed lower GPA and poor health compared to those without FI. The link between FI and GPA was moderated by first-generation student status, with the negative impact of FI on GPA more clearly observed among non-first-generation students. First-generation student status could play a role in determining the impact of FI on academic performance.