Food insecurity among university students in the Faculty of Administrative Science and Policy Studies in UiTM Campus Sarawak Branch Samarahan 2 / Nur Ain Syafiqah Jemat and Siti Nur Aisya Othman

Food insecurity is a threat that could potentially affect vulnerable groups, particularly university students. The occurrence of this issue varies among students in different countries. Therefore, this study is aimed at determining the food insecurity factors, impacts and coping strategies associated with food insecurity among university students. This cross-sectional study involved 285 undergraduate students of the Faculty of Administrative Science and Policy Studies at UiTM Cawangan Sarawak Campus Samarahan 2. The participants were selected by stratified random sampling. The instrument used for data collection was an electronic and online questionnaire consisting of four parts: socio-demographic background, factors of food insecurity among university students, impacts of food insecurity towards university students and coping strategies to alleviate food insecurity among university students. The data were analysed through descriptive analysis and Pearson Correlation. It was found that lacking in adequate money stands out as a key indicator of the main factor faced by the respondents in terms of food security. There were also a significant associations between physical health (p<0.000), Mental health (p<0.000) and academic performance (p<0.000) with the prevalence of food security among university students. It was also discovered that accepting food vouchers and request food from a community food bank were rated as the highest rate as the most effective coping strategies. Food insecurity rates in this study align with previous research indicating a high prevalence. These findings may aid universities in identifying factors associated with food insecurity among students.