Navigating Food Insecurity in Higher Education: Using the Social Cognitive Theory to Identify Key Influences and Effective Interventions.

Food insecurity (FI) remains a significant crisis in the United States, disproportionately affecting college students at nearly 4 times the national household average. There are a multitude of competing factors that affect food security (FS) in college, thus making it difficult to design effective interventions. This scoping review aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of recent research exploring the diverse factors that impact FS among college students. Using the Social Cognitive Theory as a guiding framework, this review aimed to identify key influences on FI, address gaps in the literature, and highlight effective interventions that can enhance FS among this vulnerable population. This review highlights how personal/cognitive factors, behaviors, and environmental components shape college students' experiences with FI. There is a need for targeted interventions, resources, and policy changes that can help address FS-related challenges effectively in higher education.