Paul H. O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.
Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy and Development, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Am J Health Promot. 2023 Nov;37(8):1133-1140. doi: 10.1177/08901171231184074. Epub 2023 Aug 22.
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.
8 Semi-structured focus groups.
Seven 2- and 4-year Minnesota colleges.
53 students initially screening positive for FI.
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.
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.
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.
了解经济拮据的食物不安全（FI）大学生为了优先满足一个重要需求而不得不做出的权衡取舍（妥协或决策），以及这些挑战对健康、幸福和学业成绩的感知影响。
8 个半结构化焦点小组。
明尼苏达州的 7 所 2 年制和 4 年制学院。
最初筛查出 FI 呈阳性的 53 名学生。
焦点小组进行了录音，并逐字转录。使用主题分析（一种识别和分析定性数据中模式的系统方法），通过四个分析阶段确定主题和类别。
我们在权衡取舍中确定了五个主题：牺牲食物、错过人际关系、牺牲学业、在基本需求之间做出选择以及保持身心健康。学生们描述的权衡取舍是多方面的，会引起明显的压力和担忧，并对学生的幸福构成挑战。
本研究提供了有关学生 FI 复杂性的证据，并详细说明了学生因做出权衡取舍而可能牺牲的东西。了解学生正在经历的权衡取舍，可以帮助学院工作人员确定优先解决哪些问题，以改善学生的健康和学业成绩。
