Food Insecurity Risk and Dietary Habits of International Students in the COVID-19 Pandemic Period

Abstract

Background International students are at risk for food insecurity (FI), and it is believed that the COVID-19 pandemic has made this situation even worse. Objective This study was conducted to determine the changes in the food insecurity (FI) risk and dietary habits of international students receiving education in Türkiye during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods The data were collected using an online form and included questions on demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, anthropometric measurements, and dietary habits. The 10-item Adult Food Security Survey Module was used to assess FI. Results The sample of the study included 451 international university students aged 18–36 years. The mean FI score of the participants before COVID-19 was 4.8 ± 2.95, and the mean FI score during the COVID-19 period was 5.2 ± 2.86 (p < 0.01). The prevalence of FI prior to contracting COVID-19 was 74.7%, which increased to 81.2% during the pandemic (p < 0.01). The prevalence of FI in participants from Africa (87.3%) was significantly greater than that in those from Asia (77.4%) and Europe (54.6%) (p < 0.05). A greater percentage of participants whose fathers were university graduates had food security (FS) (22.7%) than did those whose fathers were primary school graduates (12.2%), and a greater percentage of participants lived with their friends had FI (86.2%) (p < 0.05). It was determined that the healthy dietary habits of the participants who experienced FI during the COVID-19 pandemic and their habits of consuming red meat, chicken, or fish; milk and dairy products; vegetables; fruits; legumes; cereals; and dried nuts decreased more than did these habits among those with FS (p < 0.01). Conclusions FI is highly prevalent among international students studying in Türkiye, and the COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated this situation.