Table 1.
Demographics and key variables by the meal plan purchased in the Fall 2015 (n = 470), and Spring 2016 (n = 324) semesters.
| Variable | Fall 2015 | Spring 2016 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 meals/week | 180 meals/semester G | 14 meals/week | Unlimited Meals | p. Value | 8 meals/week | 180 meals/semester G | 14 meals/week | Unlimited Meals | p. Value | |
| N | 138 | 95 | 155 | 82 | 114 | 84 | 91 | 35 | ||
| Food security status at start of semester, n (%) | 0.073 | 0.124 | ||||||||
| Not FI A | 97 (70.3) | 70 (73.7) | 111 (71.6) | 70 (85.4) | 69 (60.5) | 60 (71.4) | 63 (69.2) | 28 (80.0) | ||
| FI | 41 (29.7) | 25 (26.3) | 44 (28.4) | 12 (14.6) | 45 (39.5) | 24 (28.6) | 28 (30.8) | 7 (20.0) | ||
| Food security status at end of semester, n (%) | 0.135 | 0.001 | ||||||||
| Not FI | 81 (58.7) | 60 (63.2) | 99 (63.9) | 61 (74.4) | 61 (53.5) | 58 (69.0) | 61 (67.0) | 31 (88.6) | ||
| FI | 57 (41.3) | 35 (36.8) | 56 (36.1) | 21 (25.6) | 53 (46.5) | 26 (31.0) | 30 (33.0) | 4 (11.4) | ||
| Age (mean (sd)) | 18.3 (0.4) | 18.4 (0.4) | 18.4 (0.4) | 18.5 (0.6) | 0.094 | 18.3 (0.4) | 18.4 (0.5) | 18.3 (0.4) | 18.5 (0.5) | 0.270 |
| Sex, n (%) | <0.001 | <0.001 | ||||||||
| Female | 108 (78.3) | 73 (76.8) | 111 (71.6) | 42 (51.2) | 93 (81.6) | 63 (75.0) | 65 (71.4) | 10 (28.6) | ||
| Male | 30 (21.7) | 22 (23.2) | 44 (28.4) | 40 (48.8) | 21 (18.4) | 21 (25.0) | 26 (28.6) | 25 (71.4) | ||
| Race/ethnicity, n (%) | 0.352 | 0.695 | ||||||||
| White | 64 (46.4) | 52 (54.7) | 69 (44.5) | 42 (51.2) | 45 (39.5) | 33 (39.3) | 41 (45.1) | 18 (51.4) | ||
| Black | 13 (9.4) | 7 (7.4) | 21 (13.5) | 7 (8.5) | 11 (9.6) | 10 (11.9) | 14 (15.4) | 4 (11.4) | ||
| Hispanic | 36 (26.1) | 21 (22.1) | 37 (23.9) | 12 (14.6) | 37 (32.5) | 23 (27.4) | 20 (22.0) | 6 (17.1) | ||
| Other | 25 (18.1) | 15 (15.8) | 28 (18.1) | 21 (25.6) | 21 (18.4) | 18 (21.4) | 16 (17.6) | 7 (20.0) | ||
| Pell Grant recipient, n (%) | <0.001 | 0.019 | ||||||||
| No | 65 (47.1) | 57 (60.0) | 115 (74.2) | 56 (68.3) | 56 (49.1) | 50 (59.5) | 62 (68.1) | 25 (71.4) | ||
| Yes | 73 (52.9) | 38 (40.0) | 40 (25.8) | 26 (31.7) | 58 (50.9) | 34 (40.5) | 29 (31.9) | 10 (28.6) | ||
| First-generation college student, n (%) | <0.001 | 0.001 | ||||||||
| No | 54 (39.1) | 60 (63.2) | 105 (67.7) | 51 (62.2) | 46 (40.4) | 54 (64.3) | 59 (64.8) | 21 (60.0) | ||
| Yes | 84 (60.9) | 35 (36.8) | 50 (32.3) | 31 (37.8) | 68 (59.6) | 30 (35.7) | 32 (35.2) | 14 (40.0) | ||
| Campus, n (%) | 0.815 | 0.342 | ||||||||
| A | 67 (48.6) | 43 (45.3) | 67 (43.2) | 39 (47.6) | 47 (41.2) | 27 (32.1) | 34 (37.4) | 17 (48.6) | ||
| B | 71 (51.4) | 52 (54.7) | 88 (56.8) | 43 (52.4) | 67 (58.8) | 57 (67.9) | 57 (62.6) | 18 (51.4) | ||
| Depressed mood, n (%) | 0.748 | 0.379 | ||||||||
| Low | 56 (40.6) | 39 (41.1) | 68 (43.9) | 39 (47.6) | 44 (38.6) | 38 (45.2) | 37 (40.7) | 19 (54.3) | ||
| High | 82 (59.4) | 56 (58.9) | 87 (56.1) | 43 (52.4) | 70 (61.4) | 46 (54.8) | 54 (59.3) | 16 (45.7) | ||
| Anxiety, n (%) B | 0.700 | 0.323 | ||||||||
| No | 125 (90.6) | 83 (87.4) | 133 (86.4) | 71 (86.6) | 99 (86.8) | 75 (89.3) | 73 (80.2) | 31 (88.6) | ||
| Yes | 13 (9.4) | 12 (12.6) | 21 (13.6) | 11 (13.4) | 15 (13.2) | 9 (10.7) | 18 (19.8) | 4 (11.4) | ||
| Works a job, n (%) C | 0.041 | 0.645 | ||||||||
| No | 92 (66.7) | 70 (75.3) | 124 (80.0) | 64 (80.0) | 62 (54.9) | 46 (54.8) | 54 (59.3) | 23 (65.7) | ||
| Yes | 46 (33.3) | 23 (24.7) | 31 (20.0) | 16 (20.0) | 51 (45.1) | 38 (45.2) | 37 (40.7) | 12 (34.3) | ||
| Meal plan provides adequate food, n (%) | 0.002 | 0.679 | ||||||||
| Strongly disagree/disagree | 46 (33.3) | 18 (18.9) | 29 (18.7) | 11 (13.4) | 30 (26.3) | 18 (21.4) | 22 (24.2) | 6 (17.1) | ||
| Agree/strongly agree | 92 (66.7) | 77 (81.1) | 126 (81.3) | 71 (86.6) | 84 (73.7) | 66 (78.6) | 69 (75.8) | 29 (82.9) | ||
| Parents send food, n (%) D | <0.001 | <0.001 | ||||||||
| Less than twice a semester | 38 (27.7) | 45 (47.9) | 68 (44.4) | 46 (56.1) | 39 (34.2) | 42 (50.0) | 56 (61.5) | 23 (65.7) | ||
| Twice a semester or more | 99 (72.3) | 49 (52.1) | 85 (55.6) | 36 (43.9) | 75 (65.8) | 42 (50.0) | 35 (38.5) | 12 (34.3) | ||
| Roommate shares food with participant, n (%) E | 0.990 | 0.154 | ||||||||
| Never/rarely | 69 (51.1) | 48 (51.1) | 80 (52.6) | 41 (50.6) | 58 (51.3) | 50 (60.2) | 56 (61.5) | 25 (71.4) | ||
| Sometimes/often | 66 (48.9) | 46 (48.9) | 72 (47.4) | 40 (49.4) | 55 (48.7) | 33 (39.8) | 35 (38.5) | 10 (28.6) | ||
| Friends share food with participant, n (%) F | 0.819 | 0.865 | ||||||||
| Never/rarely | 47 (34.8) | 29 (30.9) | 49 (32.5) | 30 (37.0) | 48 (42.5) | 33 (39.8) | 40 (44.9) | 16 (47.1) | ||
| Sometimes/often | 88 (65.2) | 65 (69.1) | 102 (67.5) | 51 (63.0) | 65 (57.5) | 50 (60.2) | 49 (55.1) | 18 (52.9) | ||
A FI = Food insecure; B n = 469 Fall, 324 Spring; C n = 466 Fall, 323 Spring; D n = 466 Fall, 324 Spring; E n = 462 Fall, 322 Spring; F n = 461 Fall, 319 Spring; G 180 meals/semester equates to approximately 11 meals per week with consistent use. Bold indicates statistical significance (p < 0.05).