Open AccessSelf-reported COVID-19 infection and implications for mental health and food insecurity among American college students
Author(s) -
Sara GoldrickRab,
Vanessa Coca,
Japbir Gill,
Morgan Peele,
Kallie Clark,
Elizabeth Looker
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.2111787119
Subject(s) - mental health , socioeconomic status , food insecurity , covid-19 , anxiety , pandemic , depression (economics) , ethnic group , population , psychology , medicine , environmental health , demography , gerontology , psychiatry , food security , disease , geography , political science , sociology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , archaeology , pathology , law , economics , macroeconomics , agriculture
While the COVID-19 pandemic affected mental health and increased food insecurity across the general population, less is known about the virus’s impact on college students. A fall 2020 survey of more than 100,000 students at 202 colleges and universities in 42 states reveals sociodemographic variation in self-reported infections, as well as associations between self-reported infection and food insecurity and mental health. We find that 7% of students self-reported a COVID-19 infection, with sizable differences by race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, parenting status, and student athlete status. Students who self-reported COVID-19 infections were more likely to experience food insecurity, anxiety, and depression. Implications for higher education institutions, policy makers, and students are discussed.