Abstract
Statement of Problem: College students in the United States are disproportionately impacted by food insecurity (FI), a condition increasingly associated with disordered eating behaviors and mental health risks. Emerging evidence highlights that students with marginalized racial, gender, and sexual identities may be especially vulnerable to experiencing co-occurring FI and eating disorders (EDs). However, limited research has examined how these identities interact to shape ED risk in food-insecure populations. Guided by Intersectionality and Minority Stress Theory, this thesis investigates how the combined influence of race/ethnicity, gender identity, and sexual orientation relates to low and very low food security among students with a diagnosed eating disorder at California State University, Sacramento.
Methods: Data were drawn from the Spring 2024 American College Health Association–National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA) from California State University, Sacramento and analyzed cross-sectionally. A total of 890 students completed the survey, with 35 students meeting the criteria for both very low and low food security with an ED diagnosis in the past year.
Results: Descriptive analyses revealed a heightened prevalence of co-occurring FI and EDs among transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) students, bisexual students, and racially minoritized groups. Inferential statistics using chi-square tests did not yield statistically significant results between FI and identity variables (p > .05); though notable disparities emerged when data were stratified across intersectional identity groups.
Conclusions Reached: Although statistical significance was not reached, descriptive findings indicate that students with multiple marginalized identities may face greater ED risk when experiencing low or very low food security. These results underscore the need for equity-oriented campus services that address nutritional insecurity and mental health through identity-affirming care. Future research with larger, representative samples is needed to explore disparities and
inform targeted interventions.