Food insecurity risk and dietary habits of international students in the COVID-19 pandemic period.

BACKGROUND: International students are at risk for food insecurity (FI), and it is believed that the COVID-19 pandemic has made this situation even worse. This study was conducted to determine the changes in the FI risk and dietary habits of international students receiving education in Türkiye during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This study employed a cross-sectional design. The data were collected using an online form and included questions on demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, anthropometric measurements, and dietary habits. The 10-item Adult Food Security Survey Module was used to assess FI. RESULTS: The sample of the study included 451 international university students aged 18-36 years. The mean FI score of the participants before COVID-19 was 4.8 ± 2.95, and during the COVID-19 period was 5.2 ± 2.86 (p < 0.01). The prevalence of FI before the COVID-19 pandemic was 74.7%, which increased to 81.2% during the pandemic (p < 0.01). The prevalence of FI in participants from Africa (87.3%) was significantly greater than that in those from Asia (77.4%) and Europe (54.6%) (p < 0.05). The proportion of individuals whose fathers graduated from primary or middle school is higher in the FI group (21.6% and 14.2% respectively) (p < 0.05). It was determined that the healthy dietary habits of the participants who experienced FI during the COVID-19 pandemic and their habits of consuming red meat, chicken, or fish; milk and dairy products; vegetables; fruits; legumes; cereals; and dried nuts decreased more than did these habits among those with food security (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: FI is highly prevalent among international students studying in Türkiye, and the COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated this situation. Given that five years have passed since the pandemic, these findings highlight the persistent vulnerability of international students and underline the importance of preparing policies and support strategies to mitigate the impact of future crises on food security.