Measuring food insecurity status and relationship with financial and nutritional status among sub-urban university students / Laila Fadhilah Omar…[et al.]

A cross-sectional study was done in Universiti Teknologi MARA Puncak Alam campus in order to assess the degree of food insecurity. Objective of the study was to measure the food insecurity and its relationship with financial and nutritional status among sub-urban university students aged 18 to 25 years old. College students (n = 241) were recruited online through email and other social networking pages as well as booklet (hardcopy) form. The questionnaire gathered demographics criteria, such, age, gender, faculty standing, living arrangement and income. Next part of the questionnaire was used to measure the prevalence and severity of food insecurity by using US Adult Food Security Survey Module (AFSSM). Final part of the questionnaire form consists of financial management questions which including income expenses and purchasing behavior. Nutritional assessments are done by twoday 24-hour diet recall (24HDR) via face-to-face interview and phone call. Height and weight were measured in order to calculate BMI. Half of the students were criterion as food insecure (50.2 %) with most of them were classified as very low food secure (24 %). Results showed that students income per semester contribute to food insecurity among UiTM students (p=0.017). There were no significant association identified between income expenses and food insecurity. However this study found some factors of purchasing behavior contribute to food insecurity. Food insecurity had been identified significant to carbohydrates intake among male students (p = 0.046) and cobalamin intake among female students (p=0.022). As for BMI, there was no significant association to food insecurity. The findings from this study showed that food insecurity among university students are presented in high numbers and if there no preventive action are taken, it may become a serious problem as food insecurity had related with chronic disease.