Alyssa Diaz
Kinesiology Major
Health Sciences Category
Bio
My name is Alyssa Diaz, and I am a senior at MSSU. I am studying Kinesiology and worked with Dr. Andrea Cullers on this project.
Abstract
College students have become increasingly vulnerable to food insecurity; however, only minimal research has been conducted to explain why some college students are more susceptible than others to food insecurity. This study will focus on both the sociodemographic variables and the effects of the coronavirus on self-identified food insecurity among college students and to what degree those variables are linked to food insecurity. It is hypothesized that if the students at Missouri Southern are away from home, an off-campus resident, or demonstrate a low-income status, then their food insecurity will be positively correlated with those identifications. From this, food pantries like the Lion Co-op on the campus of Missouri Southern State University may better serve consumers while adhering to their mission of relieving food insecurities and targeting specific populations experiencing the highest rates of food insecurity. Data collection will take place on the campus of Missouri Southern State University in Spring 2021. Participants eligible include all the students enrolled during the spring 2021 semester. The survey from the USDA has been designed to ask questions relating to sociodemographic variables and varying levels of self-identified food insecurity, with some additional questions regarding the impact the coronavirus pandemic may have played on the level of food insecurity one might have felt. The survey created will be digitalized using Qualtrics and sent electronically to each student on campus by Student Affairs. To incentivize students to complete the survey they will receive a gift card for coffee at a local coffee shop (a value of $2.50). The goal will be to have 500 students complete the survey, slightly over 10% of the student population.