(P02-039-23) The Use of On-Campus Food Access Resources on Diet-related Biomarkers in Plasma and Skin

Objectives: To investigate the impact of food access resources in improving diet-related biomarkers in university students experiencing food insecurity.

Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted in April 2022 to June 2022 in a diverse population of university students (n = 132) experiencing various levels of food insecurity. Diet-related biomarkers were assessed using plasma carotenoids and skin carotenoid scores (SCS) were measured using the Veggie Meter®. On-campus food access resources usage was recorded weekly using a questionnaire in Qualtrics and grouped into quartiles to explore the impact of the frequency and type of foods being consumed to determine the subsequent effect of resources on diet-related biomarkers.

Results: Of the total participants, 52.3% had high food security, 22.0% had marginal food security, 15.9% had low food security, and 9.8% had very low food security. Food access resources were utilized on average 3.1 ± 2.6 times throughout the academic term. Skin carotenoids significantly increased from 304.2 ± 113.1 at baseline to 319.3 ± 120.7 at follow-up, independent of food access resource usage (p = 0.0006). Plasma and SCS were significantly correlated at baseline (P = 0.54; p < 0.0001) and follow-up (P = 0.84; p < 0.0001). Analysis of the impact of utilizing food access resource usages by food security status on plasma carotenoids and SCS is ongoing.

Conclusions: Preliminary findings from this study confirm that diet-related biomarkers were increased in the acute duration of the academic term. Evaluation of food access resource usage’s moderation of clinical health outcomes may provide insight into the importance of continued resource provision to ensure safe, equitable access to nutrient-dense foods for all.

Funding Sources: Funding was provided in part by USDA CRIS number CA-D-NTR-6316-H, the Aggie Compass Basic Needs Resource Center at the University of California, Davis, the University of California Office of the President Global Food Initiative, the Henry A. Jastro Research Award, and the Campbell Research Award.