Hungry, Stressed, and Away From “Home”: Predictors of Food Security and Perceived Stress Among International Students

Abstract

Purpose Examine the predictors of food security and perceived stress among international students. Design Cross-sectional Design. Settings A public university in the Southwest United States. Subjects Sample size of Seventy-three participants (≥18 years). Measures Self-report measures of food insecurity and perceived stress. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Adult Food Security Survey Module (AFSSM) to assess food security status, and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) questionnaire to evaluate stress levels. Analysis Logistic regression was performed to identify predictors of food security and perceived stress. Results Duration of stay in the U.S. was a predictor of food security status, while gender was a predictor of perceived stress. International students in the U.S. for less than a year had a lower chance of being food secure [OR (95% CI) = 0.22 (0.05 - 0.74)]. Female international students had a lower chance of experiencing low perceived stress [OR (95% CI) = 0.07 (0.00 - 0.51)]. Conclusion In supporting international students, targeted nutrition and stress management interventions should be emphasized, particularly for females and those who recently moved to the U.S.