Student Food Security: Exploring Barriers to Health and Education Outcomes at The University of Saskatchewan  

This thesis examines the relationship between post-secondary student status and household food insecurity. Food insecurity refers to uncertain or inadequate access to food due to financial constraints. This project aims to examine the demographic factors and household characteristics of students attending the University of Saskatchewan in an attempt to determine if certain characteristics are associated with an increased risk of experiencing food insecurity, and therefore if some students are more vulnerable to becoming food insecure compared to others. This research will also delve into perceptions of potential contributing factors to food insecurity among University of Saskatchewan students, as well as strategies used to manage food shortages, perceptions regarding implications for student health and learning outcomes, and some suggestions to support students who may be at risk of food insecurity. A sequential, multi-method research design was used. The first phase was a survey sent directly to a simple random sample of 4500 university students through their email (n = 1359, response rate = 30.2%). The results from the survey revealed that 39.5% of students reported some level of food insecurity in the previous twelve months, with 11% reporting marginal, 21% reporting moderate, and 7.5% reporting severe levels of food insecurity. Descriptive prevalence between several student demographic and household characteristics and increased odds of experiencing food insecurity were observed. The information obtained from the survey data was used to develop an interview guide aimed at further examining the problem. Interviews were conducted with employees at the University of Saskatchewan who work in a student support role (n = 5). The inclusion of interviews facilitated greater depth, richness and rigor to the study design. Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed several themes related to student food insecurity on campus including: (1) factors that may influence food insecurity at the University of Saskatchewan; (2) perceived implications of food insecurity on student learning and health outcomes; (3) coping mechanisms used by students during times of low food security; and (4) suggested strategies that may help reduce food insecurity at the University of Saskatchewan. The results from this exploratory research, one of the first studies of its kind in Canada, is consistent with what is being found by other studies. Food insecurity among post-secondary students is a serious public health and equity issue with critical implications for individuals and society. There is a need to better understand the barriers to food security among postsecondary students. Encouragement of other university campuses to engage in similar research projects will allow for intercampus comparisons to be made. The results can be used to guide policy decisions that will create more opportunities for success among post-secondary students