Food Insecurity and Economic Hardship of College Students: Before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought overwhelming concerns regarding food insecurity and economic impacts for young adults. This study examined food insecurity and economic hardship before and during the pandemic, using data from a cross-sectional survey with college students (N = 375). We employed two analytic approaches, a Latent Class Analysis and a cumulative risk approach. The findings suggest that food insecurity and economic hardship increased during the pandemic and, more importantly, the patterns of economic hardship differ in nature before and during the pandemic. Economic hardship significantly explained food insecurity, and the pandemic intensified the association.