Food insecurity in international and domestic students at an Australian university 2 years into the global COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this article is to explore the differences in the prevalence, sociodemographic determinants, and effects of food insecurity between international and domestic students in an Australian university during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

This study uses a cross-sectional online survey. The questionnaire contained the 18-item Household Food Security Survey Module to assess food security status. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the associations between student characteristics and food insecurity. A total of 467 students (376 domestic and 91 international) attending a large university in Sydney completed the survey between October 2021 and May 2022.

RESULTS

Compared with domestic students (13.0% food insecure), international students (18.7% food insecure) had higher odds of being food insecure in our sample (odds ratio = 2.02; 95% CI, 1.01-4.07; P = 0.013). Different risk factors for food insecurity were identified in these two student groups (e.g., being undergraduates and living outside the parental home, for domestic students, and, for international students, living in accommodation that provided meals that did not suit their preferences and experiencing changes in living arrangements due to the pandemic). Lower fruit intake was reported by food-insecure domestic students. Poor well-being was reported by both food-insecure domestic and international students. International students with food insecurity were more likely to use food assistance services than food-insecure domestic students.

CONCLUSIONS

International students experienced a higher risk of food insecurity than domestic students during the pandemic in Australia. More tailored interventions to address food insecurity need to be developed for international and domestic students by considering their different experiences.