Research

Mixed

Concurrent food insecurity is significantly associated with higher odds of experiencing stress and depressed mood in college freshmen.

Financial and food stress can significantly increase feelings of stress and depression. If you are struggling with food access, consider utilizing campus mental health resources alongside food assistance. Addressing both the physical and emotional aspects of food insecurity is crucial for overall well-being.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Concurrent food insecurity was also significantly associated with higher odds of stress (OR = 1.69, 99% CI = 1.16, 2.46), and depressed mood (OR = 1.98, 99% CI = 1.34, 2.91).
Meg Bruening et al. · International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity · 2018

Why this rating

Strong longitudinal design with significant odds ratios, though mental health measures are self-reported.

Source

Hungry to learn: the prevalence and effects of food insecurity on health behaviors and outcomes over time among a diverse sample of university freshmen

Meg Bruening et al. · International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity · 2018

DOI 10.1186/s12966-018-0647-7

cohort · n=1138Cited 187×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →