Association Between Self-Reported Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Security and Overall Level of Stress Among Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences-Newark Students

OBJECTIVES: The prevalence of food insecurity and high stress rose among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic, however, there is limited research on the prevalence among health professions students. This study investigated the association between self-reported impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on stress and food security among health professions students in a Northeastern university. METHODS: This secondary analysis used data from a cross-sectional web-based survey conducted between January and March 2021. The survey included questions on sociodemographic characteristics, food security status, and factors impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as stress. Food security status over the past 12 months was determined with the Six-Item U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module (USDA HFSS-6). Non-parametric statistics were used to analyze the research questions. RESULTS: Of the 650 participants, 72% were female (n = 468); 85% were graduate students (n = 555). Twenty-one percent (n = 139) were food insecure. Eighty-eight percent of participants (n = 570) self-reported that the COVID-19 pandemic increased their level of stress; 14% (n = 95) self-reported that the pandemic made them more food insecure. A significantly higher percentage of participants (95%) who were food insecure reported increased levels of stress during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to those who were food secure (86%) (p = 0.01), which may have been affected by changes in employment and location of residence. There was no significant association between the self-reported impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food security and stress (p = 0.18). CONCLUSIONS: 1 in 5 health professions students had food insecurity and those who were food insecure reported higher levels of overall stress than those who were food secure during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future research should use larger samples and evaluate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on FI and stress among health professions and other students. FUNDING SOURCES: Internal.