COMBATING FOOD INSECURITY AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS AT UNC: DEVELOPING A SOCIAL MARKETING INTERVENTION TO PROMOTE SNAP USE.

Food insecurity (FI) presents a significant public health challenge in the United States that disproportionately affects college students, among whom approximately 32.2% experience FI, exceeding the national average (21%). This issue not only negatively impacts nutrition intake but also contributes to the development of chronic health conditions and is well understood to undermine academic success and mental well-being. Despite the effectiveness of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP,) the largest US-federal nutrition assistance program, in addressing FI; college students often underutilize it due to barriers such as lack of awareness, stigma, and complex application processes. Increasing SNAP participation among students is crucial for improving food security, health, and well-being, creating a need for targeted interventions to promote SNAP use amongst food insecure college students.This study aimed to explore undergraduate students' experiences with food insecurity and perceptions of the SNAP program through qualitative focus groups, highlighting challenges in accessing SNAP benefits and the need for more visible campus resources, and then to develop and pretest an intervention designed to enhance self-efficacy among students navigating the North Carolina SNAP application process. Informed by Social Marketing principles and Social Cognitive Theory, the intervention addresses identified barriers and promotes strategies tailored to student's specific needs, as revealed in phase one focus group insights.The focus groups revealed key themes, including the effects of food insecurity on students' well-being and academics as well as barriers and facilitators to accessing SNAP. Students expressed a need for more explicit resources and university support to address food insecurity effectively.Following the focus groups, our research applied the Social Cognitive Theory to the Social Marketing framework to develop an intervention to increase students' self-efficacy in navigating SNAP applications. Pre-tested with food-insecure undergraduate students at UNC-CH, the intervention clarified the SNAP application process and enhanced understanding of eligibility criteria. Feedback obtained from students emphasized preferences for online delivery and suggested improvements in recruitment strategies and outreach methods using university resources.This study deepened the understanding of food insecurity among UNC-Chapel Hill undergraduate students and their perceptions of SNAP benefits. Findings highlighted multifaceted factors contributing to food insecurity across personal, interpersonal, organizational, and environmental levels, impacting students' academic, mental, and physical well-being. The intervention received positive feedback for its clarity and effectiveness in addressing concerns, with implications for future research and campus policy to support food-insecure college students.