Emily Sklar

GFI Fellow - Class of 2021

Undergraduate student, neurobiology, physiology, and behavior
UC Davis

DESCRIPTION

2021-22 GFI student fellow

Emily’s study expands upon research planned as part of the Aggie Compass’ ongoing evaluation efforts to improve service delivery. This study aims to investigate perceptions of dietary quality and food insecurity in students. Participants will be asked to complete the USDA food security module, the National Food Access and COVID Research Team instrument, and financial-based questions. In-depth interviews will then be conducted. A series of questions will be asked based on participants' survey answers. The in-depth interviews will explore the thought process of how participants answered the survey questions. The results of this analysis can be used to determine if individual perception may mislead a person to report an inaccurate representation of food consumption and diet quality, thus leading to misconceptions when answering about their food security status. The anticipated results of this project will seek to confirm that the majority have an incorrect assessment of their food security. The findings from this research may be beneficial in developing better ways to advocate and educate students who are not currently accessing the on-campus food procurement resources and assist the Aggie Compass and other basic needs efforts in targeting messaging to students most in need of services.