Minoritized Student Identities and Food Insecurity: Associations with Financial Stress, Academic Satisfaction, and Mental Health

College student food insecurity represents a growing public health concern, and students with minoritized identities (e.g., students who belong to racial/ethnic minority groups and students with a non-heterosexual sexual orientation) are at elevated risk. In this study, 1,093 students completed a survey assessing their food security status, financial stress, academic satisfaction, and mental health. Twenty-seven percent of students reported experiencing food insecurity. Students who reported minoritized racial/ethnic or sexual orientation identities were significantly more likely to report increased financial stress, lower academic satisfaction, higher rates of food insecurity, and worse mental health than students identifying as White and/or straight. Regression analyses revealed that minoritized sexual orientation, and to a lesser degree, minoritized racial/ethnic identity contributed to adverse outcomes of financial stress, academic satisfaction, and mental health above and beyond food security status. The results indicate a need for interventions to consider the unique characteristics of students with minoritized identities to promote improved academic and mental health outcomes.