Exposure to Food Insecurity in Adolescence: Impact on Post-Secondary Decision Making

Location

Auditorium Hallway

Department

Educational Inquiry and Curriculum Studies

Abstract

This project explored the impact of food insecurity on motivation in high school students making post-secondary college and career plans as they transition to adulthood. A significant number of studies look at the link between food insecurity and amotivation, financial stress, and psychological distress. These factors negatively impact students’ ability to engage in academics. This project seeks to identify the impact of experiencing food insecurity post-secondary decision-making at the transition to adulthood. I conducted a literature review of the evidence and gaps around the impact of food insecurity on motivation and behaviors in high school and college students. For this study, food insecurity is defined as being worried food will run out before having money to buy more food. Initial reading identified a source that noted the long-term effects of food insecurity have yet to be studied, so this review included only peer reviewed journal publications. Inclusion criteria were as follows: US population, ages 12-22, food insecure, post-secondary outcomes. I searched 3 databases (education abstracts, social sciences abstracts, and psychinfo), using the following keywords: Food insecurity; Adolescents or Emerging Adults or College Students; Long-term effects; Post-graduation or post-secondary; Behavioral health or Mental health (suicide) or Well-being or Self-esteem; Motivation. My search returned 177 publications. One publication fit the search criteria; an additional publication was identified through hand search. These publications 1) identify the resulting variables of food insecurity (cognitive health, mental health, family functioning) and 2) a theoretical framework that looks at how these variables impact decision making and post-secondary outcomes. With these results, I am working on a pilot study to seek insight around the stress of food insecurity from the student’s point of view and refine a survey instrument to document behaviors that relate exposure to food insecurity to post-secondary college and career outcomes. My long-term goal is to identify predictive behavioral variables in adolescence within cognitive functioning, mental health, and family functioning that might foreshadow decisions, actions, or behaviors impacting post-secondary career and college decision making. I will present the results of my literature review and the design of my study.

Faculty Sponsor

Timothy Duggan, Northeastern Illinois University

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Apr 28th, 11:20 AM

Exposure to Food Insecurity in Adolescence: Impact on Post-Secondary Decision Making

Auditorium Hallway

This project explored the impact of food insecurity on motivation in high school students making post-secondary college and career plans as they transition to adulthood. A significant number of studies look at the link between food insecurity and amotivation, financial stress, and psychological distress. These factors negatively impact students’ ability to engage in academics. This project seeks to identify the impact of experiencing food insecurity post-secondary decision-making at the transition to adulthood. I conducted a literature review of the evidence and gaps around the impact of food insecurity on motivation and behaviors in high school and college students. For this study, food insecurity is defined as being worried food will run out before having money to buy more food. Initial reading identified a source that noted the long-term effects of food insecurity have yet to be studied, so this review included only peer reviewed journal publications. Inclusion criteria were as follows: US population, ages 12-22, food insecure, post-secondary outcomes. I searched 3 databases (education abstracts, social sciences abstracts, and psychinfo), using the following keywords: Food insecurity; Adolescents or Emerging Adults or College Students; Long-term effects; Post-graduation or post-secondary; Behavioral health or Mental health (suicide) or Well-being or Self-esteem; Motivation. My search returned 177 publications. One publication fit the search criteria; an additional publication was identified through hand search. These publications 1) identify the resulting variables of food insecurity (cognitive health, mental health, family functioning) and 2) a theoretical framework that looks at how these variables impact decision making and post-secondary outcomes. With these results, I am working on a pilot study to seek insight around the stress of food insecurity from the student’s point of view and refine a survey instrument to document behaviors that relate exposure to food insecurity to post-secondary college and career outcomes. My long-term goal is to identify predictive behavioral variables in adolescence within cognitive functioning, mental health, and family functioning that might foreshadow decisions, actions, or behaviors impacting post-secondary career and college decision making. I will present the results of my literature review and the design of my study.