Food insecurity among university students: A comparative analysis across nine European countries in the FINESCOP project

Objective: The "Food Insecurity among European University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic"(FINESCOP) study investigates food insecurity (FI) and factors associated with FI among university students in nine European countries. Design: A cross-sectional, web-based survey design was employed. The Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) was used for standardised assessment of FI across the study sites. Setting: The study was conducted at nine universities in different European countries. Participants: A total of 3,250 cases were included in the joint analysis, with FI assessed using the standardised FAO-developed FIES. Results: The findings reveal considerable regional disparities in FI, with moderate to severe FI (FI_mod+sev) prevalence rates ranging from 3.1% at an Italian university to 32.1% at Ege University in Türkiye. Seven out of nine universities had FI_mod+sev prevalence rates above 10%, exceeding the European three-year average (2021-2023) of 7.8%, with rates in most universities surpassing their respective national populations. Logistic regression analysis controlling for country-level fixed effects, highlighted factors associated with higher odds of FI, including being born outside Europe, lower parental education, reliance on student loans, and receiving food assistance. Conclusions: While the FIES provides standardised assessments across diverse contexts, the survey's timing during the COVID-19 pandemic may limit the findings' generalisability to non-pandemic periods. Future research should adopt longitudinal designs and refine the FIES to enhance its applicability in diverse settings. This study emphasises that university students in Europe have unique vulnerabilities to FI, which must be recognised to create effective interventions and further research into its structural causes.