Anxiety is a critical public health concern among college students, with prevalence rates increasing in recent years and contributing to negative outcomes such as lower retention rates, reduced academic performance, and impaired overall well-being. Food insecurity is defined as limited or uncertain access to nutritious food required for a healthy life, and may affect anxiety through mechanisms including financial stress, inadequate nutrition, and uncertainty about future food access. Understanding the relationship between food insecurity and anxiety among college students may help identify potential interventions and campus-based support services.

This project examines the association between food insecurity and anxiety among college students and assesses potential disparities across demographic groups,

including differences between on-campus and off-campus students. For our analysis we will use data collected through a survey completed by undergraduate and graduate students at UMass Amherst. The survey was administered during the Fall 2025 semester in a Public Health Sciences course. The food insecurity scoring system was modeled after existing measures and developed specifically for this survey, while anxiety was measured using the validated Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) screening tool.

We hypothesize that higher food insecurity scores will be associated with higher GAD-7 scores, and that the strength of this association will vary by demographic characteristics

and residential status. Findings may inform further research into the development of programs to support students most affected by food insecurity and highlight the importance of ensuring equitable access to dining services for college students.