The Effects of Food Security on Academic Performance of University Students at a Hispanic-Serving Institution

Eva M. Moya (), Gregory S. Schober, Amy Wagler, Jessica Ayala-Demeo Brown, Silvia M. Chavez-Baray, Panfeng Liang and Robbie Kennebrew
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Eva M. Moya: Department of Social Work, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
Gregory S. Schober: Rehabilitation Sciences Program, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
Amy Wagler: Public Health Department, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
Jessica Ayala-Demeo Brown: Department of Social Work, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
Silvia M. Chavez-Baray: Department of Social Work, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
Panfeng Liang: Border Biomedical Research Center, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
Robbie Kennebrew: Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 2, 1-19

Abstract: Several studies find that low food security has negative effects on academic performance in higher education in the U.S., but the samples for these studies often have low percentages of Hispanic students. Consequently, it remains unclear if food security affects academic performance in predominantly Hispanic settings. Our study aims to analyze whether food security affects academic performance at a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). Using original survey data collected on 2020 students enrolled at a large research-intensive HSI and cumulative logit models, we assess whether food security influences concentration and graduation delays among students at an HSI in the U.S.–Mexico border region. Our findings strongly suggest that low food security reduces concentration and increases delays for graduation at the HSI. The results have important implications for HSI leaders who want to improve student success, and we offer recommendations for future programs and investments to build student food security at HSIs. Because food security is a strong social determinant of health, the study is closely related to the topic of addressing social determinants of health to improve Hispanic health outcomes. When universities take action to build food security among HSI students, they simultaneously make an investment to improve Hispanic health outcomes.

Keywords: food security; academic performance; Hispanic-Serving Institution; social determinants of health; barriers to academic success (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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