Effects of Food Insecurity on Depression and Anxiety in College Students
Mentor/s
Dr. Rui Liu
Participation Type
Poster
Abstract
An estimated 30-40% of college students experience food insecurity and over 60% meet criteria for at least one mental health condition. This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between food security and mental health outcomes in college students. Participants included 252 students at Sacred Heart University’s College of Health Professions who participated in the 2021 Pioneer Student Health and Well-Being Survey. Food security status was measured using the USDA Food Security 6-Item Short Form. Depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire and anxiety was assessed using the General Anxiety Disorder Survey. Results showed that approximately 40.4% of the students experienced low to very low food security. Chi-square analyses revealed a statistically significant inverse relationship between food security status and both depression and anxiety severity (p
College and Major available
College of Health Professions, Health Science
Academic Level
Undergraduate student
Location
Digital Commons & West Campus West Building University Commons
Start Day/Time
4-25-2025 12:00 PM
End Day/Time
4-25-2025 2:00 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Prize Categories
Most Scholarly Impact or Potential, Most Creative
Effects of Food Insecurity on Depression and Anxiety in College Students
Digital Commons & West Campus West Building University Commons
An estimated 30-40% of college students experience food insecurity and over 60% meet criteria for at least one mental health condition. This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between food security and mental health outcomes in college students. Participants included 252 students at Sacred Heart University’s College of Health Professions who participated in the 2021 Pioneer Student Health and Well-Being Survey. Food security status was measured using the USDA Food Security 6-Item Short Form. Depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire and anxiety was assessed using the General Anxiety Disorder Survey. Results showed that approximately 40.4% of the students experienced low to very low food security. Chi-square analyses revealed a statistically significant inverse relationship between food security status and both depression and anxiety severity (p
Students' Information
Skyla Contarino; Health Science Major, Concentration in Public Health, Minor in Honors and Nutrition, May 2025 Graduate