Prevalence and perspectives of food insecurity among university students from indigenous communities in northwest Mexico

Introduction: Food insecurity is a global public health issue for Indigenous students. Objectives: To characterize the prevalence of food insecurity and explore the perspective about food insecurity of students from indigenous communities attending universities in northwest Mexico. Methods: This study used a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative data was gathered from an online survey to assess the prevalence of food insecurity, socio-economic, dietary, sleep quality, stress, and academic performance status of 328 university students from indigenous communities. Also, weight and height measurements were recorded. The 328 survey respondents provided the recruitment pool for the qualitative data collection. This data was obtained via three focus groups and open-ended questions to explore perspectives on food insecurity. Multiple lineal regression and constant comparison methods were used for data analysis. Results: Food insecurity was found in 83.5 % of students. Variables associated with increased food insecurity (p<0.05) include: living alone (β=1.971) with peers (β=0.936), timeframe of undergraduate program (β=0.523), nutritional behaviors (β=-0.260), higher stress levels (β=0.669), poor sleep quality (β=0.328), poor academic performance (β=-0.037). Students experienced food insecurity and hunger throughout their time as university students. Strategies to cope their food insecurity included reducing food portions and variety, as well as selling personal cultural items. Conclusion: Indigenous students attending universities in northwest Mexico exhibits high levels of food insecurity. Students' perspectives on food insecurity are interconnected with demographic, academic, psychological, health, and nutritional behaviors. These findings should be considered when designing and implementing programs to prevent and address food insecurity and hunger among students from indigenous communities.