Shi Yumeng, Allman-Farinelli Margaret
Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Nutrition. 2023 Dec;116:112196. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2023.112196. Epub 2023 Aug 16.
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.
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.
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.
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.
本文旨在探讨在新冠疫情期间，澳大利亚一所大学的国际学生和本地学生在粮食不安全状况的患病率、社会人口学决定因素以及影响方面的差异。
本研究采用横断面在线调查。问卷包含18项家庭粮食安全调查模块，以评估粮食安全状况。使用逻辑回归模型分析学生特征与粮食不安全之间的关联。2021年10月至2022年5月期间，悉尼一所大型大学的467名学生（376名本地学生和91名国际学生）完成了调查。
在我们的样本中，与本地学生（13.0%粮食不安全）相比，国际学生（18.7%粮食不安全）粮食不安全的几率更高（优势比=2.02；95%置信区间，1.01-4.07；P=0.013）。在这两组学生中发现了不同的粮食不安全风险因素（例如，对于本地学生来说，是本科生且不住在父母家；对于国际学生来说，是居住在提供的膳食不符合其喜好的住宿中，以及因疫情导致生活安排发生变化）。粮食不安全的本地学生报告水果摄入量较低。粮食不安全的本地学生和国际学生均报告幸福感较差。与粮食不安全的本地学生相比，粮食不安全的国际学生更有可能使用粮食援助服务。
在澳大利亚疫情期间，国际学生经历粮食不安全的风险高于本地学生。需要针对国际学生和本地学生的不同经历制定更具针对性的干预措施来解决粮食不安全问题。
