Date of Award

12-2025

Degree Name

MS in Nutrition

Department/Program

Food Science and Nutrition

College

College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences

Advisor

Aydin Nazmi

Advisor Department

Food Science and Nutrition

Advisor College

College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences

Abstract

Food insecurity is a persistent public health concern among college students that has been associated with student’s academic and mental health outcomes. This thesis examined the associations between food insecurity, academic performance (measured by GPA) and mental health (using Kessler 6 psychological distress and self-perceived mental health impacts on academic performance), among full-time undergraduate students within the California State University (CSU) system. Cross-sectional analyses were conducted using data from the Spring 2021 CSU National College Health Assessment, administered across all 23 campuses. Of the 20,167 respondents, 12,899 students were included in the analytical sample. Bivariate analyses were conducted to analyze individual relationships between each of variables of interest. A multivariate analysis using ordered logistic regression was conducted to estimate the relationship between food insecurity and GPA, adjusting for demographic and socioeconomic factors, and examining the influence of mental health problems in this relationship. Food insecurity was significantly associated with lower GPA, with food insecure students reporting higher levels of psychological distress and more frequent academic impacts related to mental health. Inclusion of both mental health variables within the adjusted models weakened the effect between food insecurity and GPA indicating partial mediation, although sociodemographic, economic, and mental health variables did not fully explain the relationship. These findings demonstrate that the connection between food insecurity and academic performance is independent, multifaceted, and influenced by sociodemographic, economic, and psychological variables. Population-level crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic may intensify existing disparities in basic needs among vulnerable college students.

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