Exploring Food Security Issues at Montana State UniversityThrough Food Group Purchasing Behavior
Stephanie E. Johnson Virginia Tech Dietetic Intern, Alison Harmon PhD RD, Laura Larsson PhD MPH RN
Contact Informationstephanieejohnson.com
Objectives • Explore food security at Montana State University • Determine if students can afford to buy food from all food groups • Determine if certain demographics influence food security
Methods • Three-year cohort study (n=381) • Short Likert scale survey • Surveyed students at annual event
Results
Results Continued Conclusions • Montana State University has a high prevalence of food insecurity • Many students cannot always afford food from each food group • Nontraditional students are less food secure than traditional students
Recommendations • Create a student-led campus food bank • Establish a nutrition education program including meal planning on a budget and grocery shopping tips
AcknowledgementsResearch reported on this poster was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number P20GM103474. The content is solely the responsibilityof the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
Figure 1 - 39% of students had moderate,low, or very low food security.
Figure 2 - Percent of students that couldalways afford to purchase each food
group, per self report.
Grains - 59%Dairy - 58%
Produce - 47%Meat - 43%
Figure 3 - Percent of nontraditional (>25 yo)and traditional (<25yo) students
who were food insecure.
Traditional - 36% Nontraditional - 54%
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