The Impact of Food Security Status on Health-Related Quality of Life and Diet Quality in College Students

Objective: College students demonstrate poor health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and diet quality, which may be attributed to several factors that are prevalent in the college experience, one of which is food insecurity. The aim of this research was to assess the impact of food security status (FSS) on HRQOL and diet quality among college students at the beginning of a semester, as well as to explore differences in changes to HRQOL and diet quality from the beginning to end of a semester, based on FSS. Methods: A convenience sample of college students completed an online survey at baseline and post-semester, assessing HRQOL, diet quality, and FSS. HRQOL was assessed using the CDC Healthy Days Module, diet quality using the Short Healthy Eating Index (sHEI), and FSS using the Adult Food Security Survey Module (AFSSM). Students with scores of 0-2 on the AFSSM were categorized as food secure (FS), while those with scores of 3-10 were categorized as food insecure (FI). An independent t-test and MANOVA compared differences in HRQOL and diet quality between FS and FI students at baseline, respectively. A repeated measures ANOVA compared differences in changes to HRQOL and diet quality from baseline to post between FS and FI students. Significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: Students (N = 95) were 20 (± 2.3) years old, White (81.1%), and female (65.3%). Significant differences in HRQOL between FS and FI students were observed at baseline. FI students reported more days per month with activity limitation due to poor mental health (6.10 ± 6.18 vs. 2.91 ± 3.92 days, p = 0.007); with activity limitation due to both poor mental and physical health (5.90 ± 7.13 vs. 3.25 ± 3.96 days, p = 0.034); feeling sad, blue, or depressed (10.48 ± 9.40 vs. 6.15 ± 6.58 days, p = 0.018); and feeling worried, tense, or anxious (16.07 ± 9.95 vs. 12.00 ± 10.23 days, p = 0.038). A significant difference in changes to total vegetable component scores from baseline to post was observed between these two groups (p = 0.042), with FS students demonstrating an increase in these scores (FS baseline: 2.60 ± 0.90; FS post: 2.81 ± 0.64) while FI students demonstrated a decrease (FI baseline: 2.84 ± 0.66; FI post: 2.68 ± 0.70). Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that FI college students are especially vulnerable to poor HRQOL and diet quality, which may negatively impact their academic success and increase their risk for chronic disease development later in life. These results emphasize the need for college health interventions aimed at improving HRQOL and diet quality among FI students, specifically.