(P16-029-25) Relationship of Food Security Status With Food Choice Preferences Among College Students

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between food security status (FSS) with food choice preferences in college students. In this exploratory pilot study, it is hypothesized that there will be differences in food choice preferences based on FSS, particularly with price, convenience, and familiarity.

Methods: A convenience sample of UC Davis undergraduate students completed an online questionnaire, which included the 10-item U.S. Adult Food Security Survey Module and validated Food Choice Questionnaire (FCQ) in Winter 2024. The FCQ included nine constructs: health, convenience, price, sensory appeal, natural content, mood, familiarity, ethical concern, and weight control. ANOVA models with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons were used to assess differences across FSS. Significance was determined using p < 0.05.

Results: Eight hundred and thirty-one students completed the survey and were included in analyses (mean age =19.5 years, 67% female). Fifty-three percent were classified as high FSS, 20% as marginal, 17% as low, and 11% as very low. Importance of price when making food choices was valued the least by the high FSS group in comparison to the other FSS groups (p < 0.01). When compared to the high FSS group, low and marginal FSS cared more about familiarity of food and ethical considerations (p < 0.05). Participants with marginal FSS valued natural content of foods (p=0.01) and weight control (p < 0.01) more than those with high FSS. There were no other significant differences between food choice preferences and FSS.

Conclusions: FSS was related to food choice preferences among college students participating in this pilot study. Future research is needed to understand how FSS is related to personal and cultural preferences to contribute to more effective programming and resources for improving FSS in college students.

Funding Sources: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.