Food Insecurity among Division I Student-athletes at a California State University: A mixed methods study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15763/issn.2376-5267.2023.2.1.47-68Keywords:
college student athletes, food insecurity, diet, higher education, mixed methodsAbstract
According to the 2020 Hope Survey, 38% of two-year college students and 29% of four-year college students experienced food insecurity. The distinct lifestyle of student-athletes may place them at an even greater risk for experiencing food insecurity and its consequences as compared to non-student-athletes. Therefore, this study assessed the prevalence of food insecurity among 98 student-athletes at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) and explored its impact on their athletic and academic performance, and emotional well-being. The current study utilized a mixed-methods, cross sectional design. An online survey was used to assess food security status, fruit and vegetable intake, reliance on athletic department fueling stations, and other sociodemographic variables. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore the impact of food insecurity on athletic performance, academic performance, and emotional well-being. Of the 98 student-athletes, 34.7% were food insecure. Reliance on the fueling station as a primary source of food for the day and reduced fruit and vegetable intake were identified as significant predictors of food insecurity. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted and revealed that food intake impacts energy levels during athletic events and overall quality of athletic performance, as well as energy levels in class and ability to focus during class. Additionally, unequal access to resources within the fueling station were seen as a barrier to their success. Future research should investigate the prevalence of food insecurity among student-athletes and assess the use of the athletic department fueling station as an intervention to mitigate food insecurity among this population.
References
Anziano, J. (2020). Food insecurity among college athletes at a public university in New England. (Publication No. 27995382) [Master’s thesis, Southern Connecticut State University Master of Public Health]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global. http://dx.doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-0660.22 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-0660.22
Brown, M.L., Karpinski, C., Bragdon, M., Mackenzie, M., & Abbey, E. (2023). Prevalence of food insecurity in NCAA division III collegiate athletes. Journal of American College Health, 71(5), 1374-1380. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2021.1942886 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2021.1942886
Bruening, M., Brennhofer, S., Van Woerden, I., Todd, M., & Laska, M. (2016). Factors related to the high rates of food insecurity among diverse, urban college freshmen. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 116(9), 1450-1457. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2016.04.004 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2016.04.004
Creswell, J.W., & Poth, C.N. (2016). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Sage publications.
Chaparro, M.P., Zaghloul, S.S., Holck, P., & Dobbs, J. (2009). Food insecurity prevalence among college students at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. Public Health Nutrition, 12(11), 2097-2103. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1368980009990735 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980009990735
Close, G.L., Sale, C., Baar, K., & Bermon, S. (2019). Nutrition for the prevention and treatment of injuries in track and field athletes. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 29(2), 189-197. http://dx.doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2018-0290 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2018-0290
Coleman-Jensen, A., Rabbitt. M.P., Gregory, C.A., & Singh, A. (2020). Household food security in the United States in 2019, ERR-275. U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service. https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/99282/err-275.pdf?v=63.8
Douglas, C.C., Camel, S.P., & Mayeux, W. (2022). Food insecurity among female collegiate athletes exists despite university assistance. Journal of American College Health, 1-7. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2022.2098029 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2022.2098029
Freudenberg, N., Goldrick-Rab, S., & Poppendieck, J. (2019). College students and SNAP: The new face of food insecurity in the United States. American Journal of Public Health, 109(12), 1652-1658. http://dx.doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2019.305332 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2019.305332
Goldrick-Rab, S., Richardson, B., & Baker-Smith, C. (2020). Hungry to win: A first look at food and housing insecurity among student-athletes. The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice, 2-19. https://tacc.org/sites/default/files/documents/2020-06/2019_studentathletes_report.pdf
Leung, C.W., Stewart, A.L., Portela-Parra, E.T., Adler, N.E., Laraia, B.A., & Epel, E.S. (2020). Understanding the psychological distress of food insecurity: A qualitative study of children’s experiences and related coping strategies. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 120(3), 395-403. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2019.10.012 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2019.10.012
Martinez, S.M., Grandner, M.A., Nazmi, A., Canedo, E.R., & Ritchie, L.D. (2019). Pathways from food insecurity to health outcomes among California university students. Nutrients, 11(6), 1-11. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu11061419 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11061419
Mayeux, W., Camel, S., & Douglas, C. (2020). Prevalence of food insecurity in collegiate athletes warrants unique solutions. Current Developments in Nutrition, 4(Supplement_2), 239-239. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzaa043_090 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzaa043_090
Meza, A., Altman, E., Martinez, S., & Leung, C.W. (2019). “It’s a feeling that one is not worth food”: A qualitative study exploring the psychosocial experience and academic consequences of food insecurity among college students. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 119(10), 1713-1721. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2018.09.006 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2018.09.006
Minsinger, E.R. (2020). Fueling station utilization by division I athletes at the University of Pittsburgh. (Publication No. 28370805). [Master’s thesis, The University Pittsburgh Master of Science]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.
Mirabitur, E., Peterson, K.E., Rathz, C., Matlen, S., & Kasper, N. (2016). Predictors of college-student food security and fruit and vegetable intake differ by housing type. Journal of American College Health, 64(7), 555-564. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2016.1192543 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2016.1192543
Morris, L.M., Smith, S., Davis, J., & Null, D.B. (2016). The prevalence of food security and insecurity among Illinois university students. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 48(6), 376-382. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2016.03.013 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2016.03.013
National Institutes of Health: National Cancer Institute, Division of Cancer Control & Population Sciences. (n.d.). Fruit & vegetable screeners in the eating at America’s table study (EATS): Instruments. https://epi.grants.cancer.gov/diet/screeners/fruitveg/instrument.html
Patton-López, M.M., López-Cevallos, D.F., Cancel-Tirado, D.I., & Vazquez, L. (2014). Prevalence and correlates of food insecurity among students attending a midsize rural university in Oregon. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 46(3), 209-214. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2013.10.007 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2013.10.007
Poll, K., Valliant, M., Joung, H.W.D., & Holben, D.H. (2017). Food insecurity and food behaviors of male collegiate athletes. The FASEB Journal, 31, 791-792. http://dx.doi.org/10.1096/fasebj.31.1_supplement.791.2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1096/fasebj.31.1_supplement.791.2
Quintanilla, A. (2020). An evaluation of nutrition knowledge among NCAA collegiate athletes. (Publication No. 28027915) [Mater’s thesis, California State University, Long Beach Master of Science in Nutritional Science]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.
Reader, J., Gordon, B., & Christensen, N. (2022). Food insecurity among a cohort of division I student-athletes. Nutrients, 14(21), 4703. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu14214703 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14214703
SPSS Inc. (2007). SPSS for Windows (Version 16.0) [Computer software]. https://www.ibm.com/spss
The Hope Center. (2021). #RealCollege 2021: Basic needs insecurity during the ongoing pandemic. https://hope.temple.edu/sites/hope/files/media/document/RCSurvey_NatlOnePager_FINAL_3.22.2021.pdf
U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service. (2012). U.S. adult food security survey module: Three-stage design, with screeners. https://www.ers.usda.gov/media/8279/ad2012.pdf
U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service. (2022). Food security status of U.S. households in 2022. https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-u-s/key-statistics-graphics/#foodsecure
Wall-Bassett, E., Li, Y., & Matthews, F. (2017). The association of food insecurity and stress among college students in rural North Carolina. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 49(7), S75. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2017.05.218 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2017.05.218
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Brianna Bosson, Skye Shodahl, Nelida Duran, Dena R. Herman
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
