Food Insecurity Among College Students at West Virginia University and Self-Reported Health Status

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), in 2015 food insecurity effected roughly 17 percent of the population at some time during the year. Previous studies have shown food insecurity to be present in the college population on the west coast and pacific rim. However, evaluation in a more rural region, such as Appalachia, is limited. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to measure the prevalence of food insecurity in students attending West Virginia University (WVU), in central Appalachia. Food security was classified using the USDA Household Food Security Module which separated individuals into 4 categories (high, marginal, low, and very low food security). A 56 question tool was developed by an Appalachian Multistate Collaborative to investigate food insecurity in college students attending an Appalachian Higher Education Institution. After Institutional Review Board, recruitment included sending emails to 1191 professors at WVU to reach students during Fall 2016 semes...