COVID-19 Stress, Food Security, and Fruit and Vegetable Consumption among University Students.

The purpose of this study was to test a proposed model that examined how COVID-19 stress may have impacted fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption among U.S. college students. The model was tested using five separate scales (Cronbach's α > .70) to measure the relationship between COVID-19 stress, food security, personal agency related to FV, behavioral intention to consume FV, and 7-day intake of FV. Multiple linear regression assessed how COVID-19 stress, food security, personal agency, and intention were associated with FV consumption. The model indicated a moderate correlation (R = .597) and explained 32.8% of the variance in FV consumption scores (F = 12.454, p < .001). However, COVID-19 stress and food security were not statistically significant predictors of FV consumption. This pilot study provided a reliable model to explore the relationship between COVID-19 stress and fruit and vegetable consumption among college students. Results showed that food security may act as a mediator between COVID-19 stress and personal agency and intention to consume fruits and vegetables. Overall, college students who experienced high COVID-19 stress may have also experienced inability to access fruit and vegetables during the pandemic, which is a cause for concern among health education professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]