How the Covid-19 Pandemic has affected food access of international students at the University of Prince Edward Island

Accessing food during a global pandemic is a new problem for postsecondary students. It is known that many post-secondary students struggle to achieve food security, with international students being particularly vulnerable. One factor that contributes to food insecurity is access to food which became increasingly difficult due to challenges associated with the Covid-19 global pandemic. The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of how the Covid-19 global pandemic affected access to food for international students at the University of Prince Edward Island. In this context, food access is defined as the ability to access culturally acceptable food that one needs or wants, including whether the food is free or purchased. To understand international students' experience accessing food during the Covid-19 pandemic, a virtual interview was conducted with students who felt their eating habits had changed compared to before the pandemic. Seven participants were asked a series of ten open-ended questions, which took around 30 minutes to complete. The interviews were conducted in February of 2021. Responses were analyzed using thematic content analysis. The results showed that all participants had to modify their method of accessing food due to the pandemic's unforeseen circumstances. The study also found that international students have used numerous coping mechanisms to access food when the usual method used is no longer accessible due to financial constraints or challenges occurring due to the pandemic.