Title:

Food Insecurity and Blood Pressure in College Students

Background: Food insecurity (FI) is a major issue on college campuses that may contribute to negative health outcomes such as high blood pressure (BP). Objective: To assess the relationship between food security (FS) status and BP in a sample of college students 18-24 years old living in on-campus apartments or off campus. Study Design, Setting, Participants: Data were collected between 2021 and 2023 from the College Health and Nutrition Assessment Survey (CHANAS), an ongoing cross-sectional study at a northeastern public university. Measure Outcome/Analysis: After a five-minute rest period and placement of appropriate size cuff, BP measurements were obtained twice, averaged, and categorized as normal or elevated. FS status was obtained via online survey using the USDA Six-Item Short Form questionnaire. Participants were categorized as having FS (high/marginal FS) or FI (low/very low FS). Chi-square analysis compared the prevalence of elevated BP according to FS status. ANCOVA evaluated the differences in BP based on FS status using gender, BMI, physical activity, saturated fat, sodium, and alcohol intake as covariates. Results: After applying exclusion criteria and removing students with missing data, the final sample (n=265) was mostly female (63.0%), white (95.8%), and sophomores (61.5%). Of the total sample, 26.0% met the criteria for FI and 33.2% had elevated BP. The prevalence of elevated BP was not different between FS and FI groups (32.1% vs. 36.2%, respectively, p=.55). Mean systolic and diastolic BP did not differ between FS and FI groups (114.5±11.42 mmHg vs. 117.34±11.53 mmHg, p=.12 and 69.49±8.82 mmHg vs. 71.02±7.75 mmHg, p=.36, respectively). Conclusions: The data suggest there is a high prevalence (26%) of FI among students not living in residence halls but BP is not affected by FS status. As FI continues to be prevalent on college campuses, it is important that policies are in place to provide students with access to nutritious foods. Funding Sources: Funded by New Hampshire Agriculture Experiment Station, USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Project 1010738, and the state of New Hampshire.

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