Co-designing solutions to tackle food insecurity in higher education settings: a scoping review

Objective: Food insecurity (FI) in the higher education setting is a pressing social justice and public health nutrition issue. Persistent FI rates among students suggest that the current programmes and institutional policies are inadequate. Engaging the community in co-design practices can enhance research and decision-making, leading to more targeted advocacy and solutions. This review describes and evaluates evidence of co-design approaches and identifies strategies for addressing FI in higher education settings.

Design: A review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. Literature was searched in three electronic databases (Scopus, Ovid MEDLINE and Web of Science) and two search engines (Google and Google Scholar).

Setting: Only studies based in higher education settings were included.

Participants: Higher education students.

Results: The search identified 814 studies, of which twenty-eight met the inclusion criteria. Studies involving co-design and participatory research frameworks had higher participation, leading to increased student awareness of FI, student leadership and the development of campaigns and collaborative organisational structures. A content analysis approach identified seven categories for strategies targeting student FI: (1) policy and institutional support; (2) strategic partnerships (3) advocacy and awareness; (4) initiatives for student engagement; (5) student skills and knowledge development; (6) programme development and (7) campus food environment.

Conclusions: Co-designed research methodologies are important for addressing student FI, enhancing advocacy and understanding stakeholder needs. Future studies should prioritise collaborative approaches when exploring solutions to FI and similar social justice issues affecting students.