College students across the U.S. may be misclassified by food insecurity surveys potentially hindering the effectiveness of support programs. A new study co-authored by a University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researcher examines critical gaps in how food insecurity is measured at universities—a crucial first step in helping students who struggle with consistent access to food.
The standard tool to measure food insecurity is a U.S. Department of Agriculture survey. Study co-author Jinan Banna, a professor in the Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences in the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience, noted that the survey’s wording can be confusing for students.
“We noticed that the standard government survey we used to measure food insecurity wasn’t necessarily designed for how college students think and live,” said Banna. She explained that college students “often live differently than the general adult population because they juggle meal plans, part time jobs, scholarships, intermittent housing and irregular incomes.”
For instance, questions about a “household” can confuse students who live in dorms or with roommates with whom they don’t share food resources. Similarly, the survey’s focus on monetary access to food may not apply to students who rely on a meal plan or family support.
“Students could be misclassified as food insecure, even when the real situation differs,” said Banna. This lack of a reliable measurement tool makes it challenging for universities and government agencies to understand the true scope of the problem.
The study calls for a more precise survey to provide accurate data, which in turn will allow for a more effective allocation of resources and support programs to help students who are struggling.
