Research Guides: Health Literacy Newsletter: Spring 2022

Introduction

For the Spring 2022 semester, HLWG has decided to focus on the impact of food insecurity on our campus. According to a study chaired by Maryland State Senator Mary Washington in 2021, "nearly 100,000 Maryland college students were fighting food insecurity even before the pandemic added more financial strain." Subsequently, in May 2021 Maryland passed the Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program to address student hunger and basic food needs on campus; requiring the Maryland Higher Education Commission to administer the Program, develop a certain form, and designate certain campuses as hunger-free campuses; authorizing certain public institutions of higher education to develop certain procedures and make certain information publicly available.

Swipe Out Hunger, the leading national organization in ending food insecurity on college campuses, advises colleges and universities on the design of commonsense and innovative anti-hunger programs. It has established similar programs at over 130 campuses and provided over two million nutritious meals across 40 states.

Food Insecurity

Food insecurity is the lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. This can range from lack of quality and variety in one's diet all the way to consistent hunger and decreased food intake.

USDA's Economic Research Service on Food Security in the U.S.

Food deserts can often contribute to food insecurity.

According to the Baltimore City Health Department, a food desert in Baltimore City fits these criteria:
- An area where the distance to a supermarket or supermarket alternative is more than ¼ mile
- The median household income is at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level
- Over 30% of households have no vehicle available
- The average Healthy Food Availability Index (HFAI) score for all food stores is low
Food deserts are defined differently in various parts of the country--for instance, rural areas define food deserts as areas more than 10 miles from a supermarket.

Health impacts of food insecurity

e-Books

Food Insecurity on Campus by Katharine M. Broton (Editor); Clare L. Cady (Editor); Sara Goldrick-Rab (Foreword by) The hidden problem of student hunger on college campuses is real. Here's how colleges and universities are addressing it. As the price of college continues to rise and the incomes of most Americans stagnate, too many college students are going hungry. According to researchers, approximately half of all undergraduates are food insecure. Food Insecurity on Campus--the first book to describe the problem--meets higher education's growing demand to tackle the pressing question "How can we end student hunger?" Essays by a diverse set of authors, each working to address food insecurity in higher education, describe unique approaches to the topic. They also offer insights into the most promising strategies to combat student hunger, including * utilizing research to raise awareness and enact change; * creating campus pantries, emergency aid programs, and meal voucher initiatives to meet immediate needs; * leveraging public benefits and nonprofit partnerships to provide additional resources; * changing higher education systems and college cultures to better serve students; and * drawing on student activism and administrative clout to influence federal, state, and local policies. Arguing that practice and policy are improved when informed by research, Food Insecurity on Campus combines the power of data with detailed storytelling to illustrate current conditions. A foreword by Sara Goldrick-Rab further contextualizes the problem. Offering concrete guidance to anyone seeking to understand and support college students experiencing food insecurity, the book encourages readers to draw from the lessons learned to create a comprehensive strategy to fight student hunger. Contributors: Talia Berday-Sacks, Denise Woods-Bevly, Katharine M. Broton, Clare L. Cady, Samuel Chu, Sarah Crawford, Cara Crowley, Rashida M. Crutchfield, James Dubick, Amy Ellen Duke-Benfield, Sara Goldrick-Rab, Jordan Herrera, Nicole Hindes, Russell Lowery-Hart, Jennifer J. Maguire, Michael Rosen, Sabrina Sanders, Rachel Sumekh
Food Insecurity : Better information could help eligible college students access federal food assistance benefits : Report to congressional requesters.
Food insecurity among community college students: Prevalence and relationship to GPA, energy, and concentration