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- Farmer, Anna PhD RD2
- Maximova, Katerina PhD2
- Au, Vivian BSc1
- Ball, Geoff D C PhD1
- Ball, Geoff D C PhD RD1
- Bell, Rhonda C PhD1
- Berry, Tanya R PhD1
- Downs, Shauna M MSc1
- Downs, Shauna M PhD1
- Farahbakhsh, Jasmine BSc1
- Farahbakhsh, Jasmine MSc1
- Farmer, Anna P PhD1
- Farmer, Anna P PhD RD1
- Gray-Donald, Katherine PhD1
- Hanbazaza, Mahitab MSc1
- Hanbazaza, Mahitab PhD1
- Mager, Diana R PhD RD1
- McCargar, Linda J PhD RD1
- Meldrum, Liesel A BSc1
- Olstad, Dana L PhD RD1
- Quintanilha, Maira BSc1
- Strawson, Cynthia MSc1
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- Mahitab Hanbazaza PhD,
- Geoff D.C. Ball PhD, RD,
- Anna P. Farmer PhD, RD,
- Katerina Maximova PhD,
- Jasmine Farahbakhsh MSc, and
- Noreen D. Willows PhD
Purpose: We compared food insecurity status, coping strategies, demographic characteristics, and self-rated health of international and domestic postsecondary students requesting emergency food hampers from a campus food bank (CFB).Methods: We collected data from a cross-sectional convenience sample of domestic and international students who accessed the CFB at the University of Alberta.Results: Food insecurity was prevalent (international students: n = 26/27 (96.2%), domestic students: n = 31/31 (100%)). Compared with their domestic peers, international students were less likely to rate their mental health negatively (14.8% vs 38.7%, P = 0.04). The primary income source was government loans (54.8%) for domestic students and research assistantships (33.3%) for international students. To cope with not having enough money for food, the majority of both student groups delayed bill payments or buying university supplies, applied for loans or bursaries, purchased food on credit, or worked more. International students were less likely to ask friends or relatives for food (48.1% vs 77.4%, P = 0.02).Conclusions: Domestic and international students mostly used similar coping strategies to address food insecurity; however, they paid for their education using different income sources. Distinct strategies for international and domestic students are required to allow more students to cover their educational and living expenses.- Jasmine Farahbakhsh BSc,
- Geoff D.C. Ball PhD,
- Anna P. Farmer PhD,
- Katerina Maximova PhD,
- Mahitab Hanbazaza MSc, and
- Noreen D. Willows PhD
Purpose: To describe the food security status, food insecurity coping strategies, characteristics, and experiences of student clients of the Campus Food Bank (CFB) at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.Methods: A convenience sample of 58 students completed a survey from April 2013 to April 2014. Food security status was determined using the “Adult Food Security Survey Module”.Results: Ninety percent of CFB student clients who participated in this study were food insecure, which included both moderately and severely food insecure groups. The most prevalent coping strategies for food insecurity included applying for a loan or bursary (86.2%), seeking employment or working more hours (84.5%), and purchasing food using a credit card (77.6%). Participants were a diverse mix of students, including graduate students (50.0%), international students (46.6%), and caregivers of children (24.1%). The most common primary sources of income were government student loans (29.3%) and research assistantships (20.7%). Most participants (82.8%) liked the food they received from the food bank.Conclusions: Food insecurity is highly prevalent among student clients of this university-based food bank. Students used a variety of coping strategies to increase their disposable income, highlighting the need for additional strategies to alleviate food insecurity among vulnerable students.- Cynthia Strawson MSc,
- Rhonda C. Bell PhD,
- Anna Farmer PhD, RD,
- Shauna M. Downs PhD,
- Dana L. Olstad PhD, RD, and
- Noreen D. Willows PhD
Purpose: This study describes dietary changes among university students who completed a travel study program.Methods: Seventeen undergraduate nutrition students travelled from Edmonton to Italy for 6 weeks to take 2 courses on the Mediterranean diet. In both locations students completed a 24-h dietary recall and a Food Frequency Questionnaire to assess their Mediterranean Diet Quality Index Score (MDQIS). A MDQIS of 48 indicates perfect adherence to eating patterns of the Traditional Healthy Mediterranean Diet Pyramid (THMDP).Results: While in Italy students altered their diets in positive ways (increased consumption of fish and seafood (P = 0.002), wine (P < 0.0001), and olive oil (P = 0.001)) and negative ways (increased consumption of sweets (P = 0.027), poultry (P = 0.001), and meat (P = 0.049)) relative to the THMDP. Students had a significant increase in the percentage of energy from polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids and alcohol. The MDQIS was low in Edmonton (21.9 ± 3.7) and Italy (22.9 ± 3.9).Conclusions: The overall dietary pattern of students did not adhere to the THMDP. Education about the THMDP and living in Italy for 6 weeks was insufficient to change students’ dietary patterns to one characterized as traditional Mediterranean. The findings highlight the challenges of implementing dietary changes even with nutrition education and increased food access.- Shauna M. Downs MSc,
- Anna Farmer PhD, RD,
- Maira Quintanilha BSc,
- Tanya R. Berry PhD,
- Diana R. Mager PhD, RD,
- Noreen D. Willows PhD, and
- Linda J. McCargar PhD, RD
Purpose: In June 2008, the Alberta government released the Alberta Nutrition Guidelines for Children and Youth. We evaluated the awareness of and intent to use the guidelines in Alberta schools, and sought to determine whether organizational characteristics were a factor in adoption of the guidelines. Methods: Randomly selected schools from across Alberta completed a 19-question telephone survey, which included open- and closed-ended questions about the schools’ characteristics, the priority given to healthy eating, awareness of the guidelines, and the schools’ intent to use the guidelines. Of the 554 schools contacted, 357 (64%) completed the survey. Results: Overall, 76.1% of schools were aware of the guidelines and 65% were in the process of adopting them. Fifty percent of schools identified healthy eating as a high priority and 65.9% reported making changes to improve the nutritional quality of foods offered in the past year. Schools that were larger, public, and urban, and had a school champion and healthy eating as a high priority were more likely to be adopting the guidelines. Conclusions: Most schools were aware of the nutrition guidelines and many had begun the adoption process. Identifying a school champion may be an important first step for schools in terms of adopting health promotion initiatives.- The prevalence of anemia in Aboriginal children is high, but, given the high burden of infection in these children, the extent to which anemia is due to iron deficiency and/or infection is unclear. To determine the contribution of iron deficiency to anemia, we screened 144 Aboriginal infants (70 boys, 74 girls) who were free from infection. The prevalence of anemia (hemoglobin <105 g/L) was 18.8%; caregivers reported that 53.5% of infants had had an infection in the two weeks before screening. Anemic infants were more likely than non-anemic infants to have had an infection before screening (74.1% versus 48.7%, p = 0.02), and anemic infants had a higher prevalence of iron deficiency revealed by low serum iron concentrations (< μ7 mol/L) (73.7% versus 38.3%, p <0.01). Iron deficiency measured using serum ferritin concentration tended to be less marked in infants who had had an infection (13% versus 30.3%, p = 0.06); this is probably because serum ferritin is a positive acute-phase protein. This study indicates the difficulty of isolating the contribution of infection to anemia from the separate effects of dietary iron deficiency.
- Purpose: To evaluate the adequacy of loans funding and the risk for food insecurity in students living away from home and receiving loans at the University of Alberta. Methods: A nutritious seven-day menu was developed. The menu was priced for skilled and unskilled shoppers at a grocery store near to campus and a discount-style grocery store further away. Results: The menu was more costly for males, unskilled shoppers and those students who shopped near to campus. The menu cost was as high as $296/month and often exceeded the $196 allocated by the Canada Student Loans Program for food each month. Conclusions: Based on the findings from this study, students reliant on financial assistance likely have insufficient money for a nutritionally adequate diet and are at risk for food insecurity. Shopping skills and budgeting, while important, would be insufficient to alleviate food insecurity for many students who require financial aid. Increased funding for food in student loans is necessary.
- Purpose: Food insecurity appears to be a growing problem for post-secondary students, but little study has been made of the 51 campus-based food banks that exist. In 2003-04, the University of Alberta Campus Food Bank (CFB) distributed hampers intended to supply four days of food to 630 unique clients, of whom 207 (32.8%) were children. The nutritional adequacy of food hampers and cost saving to students were evaluated in the current study. Methods: Hampers prepared for one adult, and for one adult with one child, were nutritionally evaluated and scored for number of servings according to Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating. Two types of hampers were evaluated: those containing only non-perishable items, and those containing non-perishable and perishable items. Hamper contents were priced to establish the cost saving to students. Results: The study revealed that a student with one child would receive up to $58.02 worth of food in a hamper that contained perishable items. All hampers met the recommended minimum servings for each food group, but were very low in fat and protein from animal sources. Conclusions: Because students can obtain hampers only twice each month, the CFB is not the solution to food insecurity on campus. Awareness of the issue of post-secondary student food insecurity needs to be raised.
