Trade-Offs Faced by 2-and 4-Year College Students Experiencing Food Insecurity: An Analysis of Qualitative Data

Purpose: To understand the trade-offs, defined as compromises or decisions students must make to prioritize one important need over another, as a result of economic constraints, food insecure (FI) college students experience and the perceived impact of these challenges on health, well-being, and academic achievement. Design: 8 Semi-structured focus groups. Setting: Seven 2- and 4-year Minnesota colleges. Participants: 53 students initially screening positive for FI. Method: The focus groups were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis, a systematic approach for identifying and analyzing patterns across qualitative data, was used through four analysis phases to identify themes and categories. Results: We identified five themes within trade-offs: sacrificing food, missing out on relationships, sacrificing academic studies, choosing between basic needs, and maintaining physical and mental well-being. The trade-offs students described were multifaceted, caused notable stress and worry, and presented challenges to students’ well-being. Conclusion: This study provides evidence on the complexities of FI among students and details on what students may be sacrificing as a result of making trade-offs. Understanding the trade-offs students are experiencing can help college staff to prioritize which issues to focus on to improve student health and academic performance.