All Theses, Dissertations, and Capstone Projects

Year of Award

2017

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College

College of Education & Allied Health

Department

Family and Consumer Sciences

First Advisor

Matthew Birnbaum

Second Advisor

Florence M. Guido

Third Advisor

Alena Clark

Keywords

campus food pantry, food insecurity, higher education

Abstract

Food insecurity is a phenomenon with far-reaching impacts on the social, economic, health, and well-being of college students’ lives impacting how they procure food, food choices, and food experiences. A qualitative narrative inquiry explored experiences of three students facing food insecurity and using a campus food pantry. Data collection methods included in-depth semi-structured interviews, journaling, and photo elicitation.

Data analysis illustrated five themes: a) financial challenge identification; b) strategizing budget priorities; c) prioritizing health; d) food pantry uses and strategies; and e) having enough. Students’ experiences were impacted by social and physical implications due to their financial challenges. The food pantry filled a void for all participants ensuring they had items which provided enough to meet needs. Next steps include developing a food security assessment tool, increasing department collaborations, and maximizing resource utilization provided by the food pantry. These implications are designed specifically for stakeholders invested in providing a campus food pantry to maximize students’ needs and success.

Document Type

Open Access Dissertation

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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