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Viewpoint: Food insecurity among college students: A case for consistent and comparable measurement

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  • Ellison, Brenna
  • Bruening, Meg
  • Hruschka, Daniel J.
  • Nikolaus, Cassandra J.
  • van Woerden, Irene
  • Rabbitt, Matthew P.
  • Nickols-Richardson, Sharon M.

Abstract

A growing body of research among college students has estimated remarkably high levels of food insecurity when compared to food insecurity estimates from the general population over the past decade, with recent literature reviews reporting average prevalence rates of 33–51% compared to 9.8% among U.S. adults. Given these high rates of food insecurity, policymakers at the state- and federal-levels are considering legislation to better understand and ultimately alleviate food insecurity in the college student population. Further, the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study will soon collect national surveillance data on college student food insecurity. However, emerging research suggests that existing food insecurity measurement tools may not perform as expected when used with college students. Indeed, there is no food insecurity measure that has been validated for use with college students. The purpose of this commentary is to discuss the current state of food insecurity measurement among college students and set a course for more meaningful measurement in the college-student population that produces consistent and comparable estimates of food insecurity.

Suggested Citation

  • Ellison, Brenna & Bruening, Meg & Hruschka, Daniel J. & Nikolaus, Cassandra J. & van Woerden, Irene & Rabbitt, Matthew P. & Nickols-Richardson, Sharon M., 2021. "Viewpoint: Food insecurity among college students: A case for consistent and comparable measurement," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfpoli:v:101:y:2021:i:c:s0306919221000099
    DOI: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2021.102031
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Cassandra J Nikolaus & Brenna Ellison & Sharon M Nickols-Richardson, 2019. "Are estimates of food insecurity among college students accurate? Comparison of assessment protocols," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(4), pages 1-18, April.
    2. Blumberg, S.J. & Bialostosky, K. & Hamilton, W.L. & Briefel, R.R., 1999. "The effectiveness of a short form of the household food security scale," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 89(8), pages 1231-1234.
    3. Craig Gundersen & James P Ziliak, 2018. "Food Insecurity Research in the United States: Where We Have Been and Where We Need to Go," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 40(1), pages 119-135.
    4. Sunjin Ahn & Travis A. Smith & F. Bailey Norwood, 2020. "Can Internet Surveys Mimic Food Insecurity Rates Published by the US Government?," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 42(2), pages 187-204, June.
    5. Rabbitt, Matthew P. & Coleman-Jensen, Alisha, 2017. "Rasch analyses of the standardized Spanish translation of the U.S. household food security survey module," Journal of Economic and Social Measurement, IOS Press, issue 2, pages 171-187.
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    Cited by:

    1. Molly B. Hiller & Donna M. Winham & Simon T. Knoblauch & Mack C. Shelley, 2021. "Food Security Characteristics Vary for Undergraduate and Graduate Students at a Midwest University," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-15, May.
    2. Ryan J. Gamba & Lana Mariko Wood & Adianez Ampil & Alina Engelman & Juleen Lam & Michael T. Schmeltz & Maria M. Pritchard & Joshua Kier Adrian Santillan & Esteban S. Rivera & Nancy Ortiz & Darice Ingr, 2021. "Investigating the Feasibility of a Restaurant Delivery Service to Improve Food Security among College Students Experiencing Marginal Food Security, a Head-to-Head Trial with Grocery Store Gift Cards," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-14, September.
    3. Miriam Manboard & Cassandra M. Johnson & Hannah Thornton & Lesli Biediger-Friedman, 2021. "The HOME Study: Understanding How College Students at a Hispanic Serving Institution Coped with Food Insecurity in a Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-14, October.
    4. William P. Fisher Jr., 2023. "Separation Theorems in Econometrics and Psychometrics: Rasch, Frisch, Two Fishers and Implications for Measurement," Journal of Interdisciplinary Economics, , vol. 35(1), pages 29-60, January.

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