Qualitative assessment of changes to university students’ dietary intake by food security status in the context of COVID-19

Objective: To explore how university students’ dietary intakes changed during COVID-19, and whether these changes differed by food security status. Participants: Six hundred students attending a New Jersey public university. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey asked about student intake. Food security status was measured using the 18-item US Household Food Security Survey. Open-ended questions were content analyzed and themes were compared between food secure (FS) and food insecure (FI) students. Results: The most frequently reported dietary changes for FI students were food source/sourcing (22.7%), food variety (19.7%), and food/meal properties (19.7%). For FS students, themes differed: no change (31.5%), food source/sourcing (31.3%), and health/nutrition (13.7%). Conclusions: Students indicated dietary changes during the pandemic regardless of food security status, although FI students more frequently reported smaller, less healthy, and less varied meals. Colleges and universities can provide support through enhanced outreach and assistance during emergencies or extended periods of disruption.