Interplay Between Food Insecurity and Stress Among International Students at a University in West Texas

OBJECTIVES: International students provide the much-needed diversity and enrich the experiences of college students. As the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged economies, impaired food access, and affected mental health globally, international students in the United States (US) did not qualify for government aid, making them more susceptible to food insecurity and stress. Hence, this study objective was to assess international students' food security status and examine the relationship between stress and food insecurity. METHODS: An online survey was administered to 75 international students at the chosen University from October 2021-December 2021. Food security was evaluated using the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) 10-item food security survey, while stress was assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Independent t-tests were done to observe the statistical differences in student classification, work hours, marital status, and Spearman's correlation to examine the bivariate relationship between food insecurity and stress. RESULTS: The results showed 32% of international students were food insecure, with 73% of students experiencing moderate stress and 12% high-stress levels. PSS and food security status did not vary significantly with grade classification, work hours, or marital status. However, the food insecurity rate among international students who migrated within the last year was (43%) twice the rate of those in the country for more than a year (22%). There was a positive correlation between food insecurity and stress (r (71) = .35, p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Food insecurity correlated with stress among participants. Our findings indicate about one-third of international students are food insecure and suggest international students face moderate to high-stress levels, especially during the first year in the new environment. Future nutrition interventions and stress management strategies are essential, especially for international students who migrated within a year. FUNDING SOURCES: No funding.