More than one in five US medical students reported food insecurity in a multi-institution survey, nearly double the national household average.
Among 1,834 respondents across 8 schools, the prevalence was 21%, with institutional rates ranging from 16% to 32%.
Food insecurity was significantly higher among students identifying as Black (odds ratio [OR] 2.91), Southeast Asian (OR 5.73), Middle Eastern or North African (OR 2.80), and Hispanic or Latino (OR, 2.47) compared with White or non-Hispanic peers. Students classified as underrepresented in medicine also had more than twice the odds of food insecurity (OR, 2.45).
Financial factors were strongly associated. Compared with students receiving parental support, those relying on private loans (adjusted OR [aOR], 9.00), federal loans (aOR, 2.06), or scholarships (aOR, 2.74–2.77) were at higher risk. Students with dependents (aOR, 2.55), Pell grants recipients (aOR, 2.31) during their undergraduate studies and those with higher educational debt also had elevated odds. Median debt among food-insecure students was $65,000, nearly double that of food-secure peers ($36,000).
The study noted that scholarships, typically intended to ease financial stress, were not protective—suggesting that aid often failed to cover cost of living. Institutional prevalence varied widely, underscoring the influence of local cost of living and campus aid structures. Authors highlighted potential interventions, including school-based dining programs, hospital meal cards, SNAP enrollment assistance, and campus pantries.
The survey was conducted between March and September 2023 and analyzed from March 2024 to May 2025. Participants completed the US Department of Agriculture Adult Food Security Survey Module, with food insecurity defined as three or more affirmative responses. Logistic regression identified demographic and financial predictors of food insecurity.
Limitations included its cross-sectional design, a 36% response rate, and overrepresentation of private, research-intensive institutions, which may limit generalizability. Authors also noted potential underreporting from self-reported data.
“Further work is needed with particular focus on medical students given their higher prevalence of depression and burnout coupled with overwhelming educational debt,” said Bassel M. Shanab, BA, of Yale School of Medicine, and colleagues. "These findings underscore the food insecurity crisis on medical school campuses and call for sustainable interventions, institutionally and nationally, to meet the basic needs of medical students."
The authors reported no conflicts of interest.
Source: JAMA Network Open