Background: The COVID-19 pandemic triggered nationwide school closures in March 2020, putting millions of children in the United States who depended on subsidized school meals at risk of hunger. In response, the US Department of Agriculture activated the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and Seamless Summer Option (SSO) program to provide…

Background: Children residing in households with very low food sufficiency (VLFS), where there is "often" not enough to eat, are more likely to experience academic, health, and psychological challenges. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a temporary universal free school meals (UFSM) policy was implemented, improving food access for children…

Objectives: This study explores whether the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the prevalence of food insecurity (FI) among US college students. Participants: College students (n = 489) enrolled at a Mid-Atlantic university. Methods: A mixed methods design was utilized for data collection and analysis through an electronic survey and semi-structured…

Objective: To explore how university students' dietary intakes changed during COVID-19, and whether these changes differed by food security status. Participants: Six hundred students attending a New Jersey public university. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey asked about student intake. Food security status was measured using the 18-item US…

Objective: To examine the impact of the pandemic on a sample of college students, and test associations with food security and mental distress. Participants: A convenience sample of 132 students from a diverse U.S. institution. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that utilized online surveys. Data was analyzed using X[superscript 2], binary…

College students are more likely to be food insecure than the general population. CalFresh (SNAP) food benefits can reduce hunger by helping low-income students pay for their food. This is particularly relevant as the rising cost of food is putting extra strain on students' budgets. Unfortunately, the administrative hurdles and time required to…

Objective: The purpose of this study was to test whether COVID impact interacts with genetic risk (polygenic risk score/PRS) to predict alcohol use disorder (AUD) symptoms. Method: Participants were n = 455 college students (79.6% female, 51% European Ancestry/EA, 24% African Ancestry/AFR, 25% Americas Ancestry/AMER) from a longitudinal study…

Since the pandemic started, food insecurity has become a more serious issue for U.S. college students. The study goals were to evaluate whether pandemic-specific stress contributes to current food insecurity (as of February-March of 2022) and to determine which student characteristics are associated with food insecurity. We used the 2022 Spring…

Purpose: We used data from the National Survey of Children's Health to (1) examine differences in economic hardship and safety net program use after the implementation of federal relief efforts, and (2) assess whether the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated autism-based disparities in hardship and program use. Methods: We examined five dimensions of…

Basic needs insecurity (BNI), or insufficient access to food or housing, is a problem in U.S. higher education (Broton et al., 2022). As college students continue to negotiate the fallout of COVID-19 and its lingering economic effects, it is vital to amplify BNI as a concerning problem for campus administrators invested in students' success…

The transition from high school to early adulthood is a time when students must learn how to handle elements of daily life independently, and it is a particularly challenging time to experience food insecurity. Students who previously had access to food benefits in high school, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), may have…

Addressing food, energy, and water issues through a systems approach is essential for Native American communities, where climate change, natural disasters, and pandemics further strain access to these vital resources. Tribal communities experience a disproportionate impact from these global crises, which heightens and exposes existing…

Nearly five years after the pandemic, a majority of afterschool programs are able to serve as many or more students as they served before the pandemic began. Still, most providers are concerned about their programs' sustainability and staffing capabilities. Overwhelming majorities of afterschool program providers report offering their students…

Objective: We examined how students' food insecurity related to their demographic information, academic experiences, use of food programs, and reflections on food during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants: 246 NYC undergraduates during the first 9 months of the pandemic. Methods: Students reported on food insecurity (e.g., USDA's 10-item AFSSM),…