Food Insecurity Prevalence Among US Medical Students

What is the prevalence of food insecurity among US medical students, and which students are at higher risk?In this survey study of 1834 medical students from 8 US medical schools, 21.2% were food insecure. Food insecurity was significantly higher among ethnic and racial minority students, students with dependents, and students with financial need; conversely, food insecurity was lower among those with parental tuition assistance.In this survey study, more than 1 in 5 US medical students reported food insecurity, nearly double the level of US households, underscoring the need for targeted interventions to support medical students’ basic needs and promote academic success and well-being.

Corresponding Authors: Bassel M. Shanab, BA (bassel.shanab@yale.edu), and Pavan Khosla, BA (pavan.khosla@yale.edu), Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St, New Haven, CT 06510.

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