Determining Student Food Insecurity at Memorial University of Newfoundland
Abstract
Purpose Our study compared the prevalence of food insecurity among 3 student groups attending Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN): International (INT), Canadian out-of-province (OOP), and Newfoundland and Labrador (NL). Factors associated with food insecurity were also investigated. Methods Data were collected via an online survey distributed to an estimated 10 400 returning MUN students registered at a campus in St. John's, NL. Respondents were recruited through e-mails, posters, and social media. Ten questions from the Canadian Household Food Security Survey Module adult scale were asked to assess food security. Logistic regression was used to compare rates of food insecurity between the three population subgroups. Results Of the 971 eligible student respondents, 39.9% were food insecure (moderate or severe). After controlling for program type, parental status, living arrangement, and primary income source, OOP and INT students were 1.63 (95% CI = 1.11-2.40) and 3.04 (95% CI = 1.89-4.88) times more likely, respectively, to be food insecure than NL students. Conclusions Approximately 40% of participating MUN students experienced food insecurity, a higher proportion than reported for the overall provincial population. Groups at high risk of food insecurity include INT students, students with children, and those relying on government funding as their primary income.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The campus-based surveys cited had response rates ranging between 2% and 44%.
“the campus-based surveys cited here had response rates ranging between 2% and 44% [11–15, 17–19].”
From Prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of food insecurity among post-secondary students and non-students of similar age in Canada (2023) · cites this paper as [11]
The prevalence of food insecurity among post-secondary students in this study is much lower than rates reported from recent campus-based surveys.
“The prevalence of food insecurity charted among post-secondary students in this study is much lower than rates reported from recent campus-based surveys [11–19].”
From Prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of food insecurity among post-secondary students and non-students of similar age in Canada (2023) · cites this paper as [11]
Several recent campus-based studies indicate that over half of post-secondary students in Canada are food insecure.
“several campus-based surveys in Canada have reported rates of food insecurity that are several times higher than population prevalence estimates [11–19].”
From Prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of food insecurity among post-secondary students and non-students of similar age in Canada (2023) · cites this paper as [11]
The study determined young adults' food insecurity status from the 10-item adult subscale of the HFSSM, consistent with prior Canadian studies of post-secondary students.
“We determined young adults’ food insecurity status from the 10-item adult subscale of the HFSSM, consistent with prior Canadian studies of post-secondary students that have used this module [11, 13, 17, 18].”
From Prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of food insecurity among post-secondary students and non-students of similar age in Canada (2023) · cites this paper as [11]
Higher odds of food insecurity among students who lived with children have been repeatedly observed in campus-based surveys.
“The higher odds of food insecurity among students who lived with children has also been repeatedly observed in campus-based surveys [11, 16]”
From Prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of food insecurity among post-secondary students and non-students of similar age in Canada (2023) · cites this paper as [11]
Several campus-based studies have documented an elevated risk of food insecurity among Indigenous and international students.
“Although several campus-based studies have documented an elevated risk of food insecurity among Indigenous and international students [11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 29]”
From Prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of food insecurity among post-secondary students and non-students of similar age in Canada (2023) · cites this paper as [11]
Even campus-based surveys using the adult scale of the HFSSM or validated shorter forms of this module have yielded much higher prevalence estimates than observed in this study.
“even campus-based surveys using the adult scale of the HFSSM or validated shorter forms of this module have yielded much higher prevalence estimates that we observed [11, 13, 15, 17, 19].”
From Prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of food insecurity among post-secondary students and non-students of similar age in Canada (2023) · cites this paper as [11]
The finding of no significant difference in food insecurity odds by full- versus part-time status is consistent with prior campus-based studies.
“Our finding that there was no significant difference in the odds of food insecurity by full- versus part-time status is also consistent with prior campus-based studies [11–13].”
From Prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of food insecurity among post-secondary students and non-students of similar age in Canada (2023) · cites this paper as [11]
The finding of lower odds of food insecurity among students with at least a Bachelor's degree is consistent with other research suggesting that graduate students and those in medical school are at lower risk.
“our finding of lower odds of food insecurity among students who already had at least a Bachelor’s degree is consistent with other research suggesting that graduate students and those in medical school are at lower risk [11]”
From Prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of food insecurity among post-secondary students and non-students of similar age in Canada (2023) · cites this paper as [11]
Cites
Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (1983) · Cited by 79,888 · see citing works
International students in English-speaking universities
Andrade, M. S. (2006) · Journal of Research in International Education · doi:10.1177/1475240906065589 · Cited by 1,169 · see citing works
Yeh, C. J., & Inose, M. (2003) · Counselling Psychology Quarterly · doi:10.1080/0951507031000114058 · Cited by 1,028 · see citing works
Coates, J., Frongillo, E. A., Rogers, B. L., Webb, P., Wilde, P., & Houser, R. F. (2006) · Journal of Nutrition · doi:10.1093/jn/136.5.1438s · Cited by 417 · see citing works
Maroto, M., Snelling, A. M., & Linck, H. (2014) · Community College Journal of Research and Practice · doi:10.1080/10668926.2013.850758 · Cited by 303 · see citing works
Food insecurity prevalence among college students at the university of Hawai’i at Manoa
Pia Chaparro, M., Zaghloul, S. S., Holck, P., & Dobbs, J. (2009) · Public Health Nutrition · doi:10.1017/s1368980009990735 · Cited by 265 · see citing works
Gaines, A., Robb, C. A., Knol, L. L., & Sickler, S. (2014) · International Journal of Consumer Studies · doi:10.1111/ijcs.12110 · Cited by 264 · see citing works
Student food insecurity: The skeleton in the university closet
Hughes, R., SEREBRYANIKOVA, I., DONALDSON, K., & LEVERITT, M. D. (2011) · Nutrition & Dietetics · doi:10.1111/j.1747-0080.2010.01496.x · Cited by 193 · see citing works
Food insecurity among university students in V ictoria: A pilot study
Micevski, D. A., Thornton, L. E., & Brockington, S. (2013) · Nutrition & Dietetics · doi:10.1111/1747-0080.12097 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
<i>Food Insecurity in University Students</i> Receiving Financial Aid
Meldrum, L. A., & Willows, N. D. (2006) · Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research · doi:10.3148/67.1.2006.43 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Student food insecurity: Examining barriers to higher education at the University of Saskatchewan
Olauson, C., Engler-Stringer, R., Vatanparast, H., & Hanoski, R. (2018) · Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition · doi:10.1080/19320248.2017.1393365 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Food Insecurity of Campus-Residing Alaskan College Students
Lindsley, K., & King, C. (2014) · Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics · doi:10.1016/j.jand.2014.06.319 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
179. Food Insecurity in Post-Secondary Students: A Systematic Review
Kurudiyara, P. Y., Simpson, P. M., & Dharmapuri, S. (2015) · Journal of Adolescent Health · doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2014.10.184 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Shi, Y., Lukomskyj, N., & Allman-Farinelli, M. A. (2020) · Nutrition · doi:10.1016/j.nut.2020.111100 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Howard, A. L., Carnrite, K. D., & Barker, E. T. (2021) · Emerging Adulthood · doi:10.1177/21676968211053523 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Shi, Y., Grech, A. L., & Allman-Farinelli, M. A. (2022) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu14214522 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Correlates of Food Insecurity Among Undergraduate Students
Bottorff, J. L., Hamilton, C., Huisken, A., & Taylor, D. (2020) · Canadian Journal of Higher Education · doi:10.47678/cjhe.v50i2.188699 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Shi, Y., & Allman-Farinelli, M. A. (2023) · Nutrition · doi:10.1016/j.nut.2023.112196 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Brownfield, N. R., Quinn, S. J., Bates, G. W., & Thielking, M. (2023) · Journal of Further and Higher Education · doi:10.1080/0309877x.2023.2176203 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Mental Health of Students Reporting Food Insecurity during the Transition to University
Howard, A. L., & Barker, E. T. (2021) · Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research · doi:10.3148/cjdpr-2021-008 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Bessey, M., Frank, L., & Williams, P. L. (2020) · Canadian Food Studies / La Revue canadienne des études sur l alimentation · doi:10.15353/cfs-rcea.v7i1.375 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Wang, Y., St-Germain, A.-A. F., & Tarasuk, V. (2023) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-023-15756-y · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Mentoring Minorities: Five Foundational Lessons
Pakhale, S. S. (2021) · The American Journal of Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2021.07.001 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Hilal, S., Indrayathi, P. A., Kolozsvári, L. R., Torzsa, P., & Rurik, I. (2025) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu17203300 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Hesson, J., & Fowler, K. (2024) · Journal of College Student Mental Health · doi:10.1080/28367138.2024.2405911 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Wilson, H., Neufeld, H. T., Anderson, K. M., Wehkamp, C. A., & Khoury, D. T. D. E. (2021) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su131810268 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Fowler, K., & Hesson, J. (2025) · Journal of Further and Higher Education · doi:10.1080/0309877x.2025.2459196 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Shuvo, S. D., Charlton, K. E., Roy, R., Allman-Farinelli, M. A., Mihrshahi, S., & Kent, K. (2026) · Nutrition & Dietetics · doi:10.1111/1747-0080.70082 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Pepetone, A., Qutub, M., Andrade, L., Wallace, M. P., & Kirkpatrick, S. I. (2023) · Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research · doi:10.3148/cjdpr-2023-003 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Campus Food Initiatives: Mitigating Student Food Insecurity
Sept, M. (2024) · Eureka · doi:10.29173/eureka28802 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Blundell, L., & Mathews, M. (2021) · Canadian Food Studies / La Revue canadienne des études sur l alimentation · doi:10.15353/cfs-rcea.v8i3.414
Self-citationDisordered eating behaviors and sedentary lifestyle prevention program for Mexican adolescents.
Saucedo-Molina, T. D. J., & Pérez, O. G. A. (2019) · doi:10.26226/morressier.5cdc25c8bf4ffc620542104e
Páez-Varas, C., & Hammond, G. K. (2022) · Canadian Food Studies / La Revue canadienne des études sur l alimentation · doi:10.15353/cfs-rcea.v9i3.576
Mitch, A., Charlebois, S., & Music, J. (2024) · Scientific Research and Essays · doi:10.5897/sre2023.6783
Student perceptions of on‐campus foodscapes at a Canadian university
Clarke, S. (2026) · Canadian Geographies / Géographies canadiennes · doi:10.1111/cag.70079
- Authors
- Blundell, L., Mathews, M., Bowley, C., & Roebothan, B.
- Affiliations
- Memorial University of Newfoundland (CA)
- Venue
- Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research
- Publisher
- Dietitians of Canada
- Published
- 2019-03-01
- Volume
- 80
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 14-21
- ISSN
- 1486-3847 (ISSN-L)
- 2292-9592
- OpenAlex
- W2894758780
- Cited by
- 23
- References
- 13
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 1
- FWCI
- 3.82
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Memorial University of Newfoundland
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › General Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Security and Socioeconomic Dynamics
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
- Keywords
- student food insecurity, university students, international students, parental status, Memorial University of Newfoundland
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Canada, Female, Food Supply, Humans, Income, Male, Newfoundland and Labrador, Surveys and Questionnaires, Socioeconomic Factors, Students, Universities, Logistic Models, Marital Status, Young Adult
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
