The number of international graduate students enrolled at Canadian universities has continuously increased, indicating the importance of their cultural and economic contributions. Nonetheless, there has not been much focus on the issues these students face regarding food access, which might affect their psychological well-being and academic achievement. Through a qualitative approach, this study seeks to understand how international graduate students at the University of British Columbia perceive access to food choices and how those affect their academic experiences. One ethnographic interview and five one-on-one semi-structured interviews with international graduate students at UBC were conducted. Audio recording, verbatim transcription, and manifest and inductive content analysis were all used in the data-collecting process. The research found that finding food acceptable for one's culture to be a challenge, and logistical issues, including time limits, underemployment, and lack of family support, can make it difficult to access food choices. It was discovered that these issues have a negative impact on these students’ health and academic performance, emphasizing a crucial area for action. The results highlight the necessity for Canadian governments and academic institutions to acknowledge and tackle the food access difficulties encountered by international graduate students. Improving this student population's access to reasonably priced, culturally relevant food choices might significantly impact their well-being and academic performance.

Authors:
Momodou Barry, University of British Columbia, Canada

Virtual Presentation

---

Conference Comments & Feedback

Place a comment using your LinkedIn profile

Comments

Share on activity feed

Post with LinkedIn

Powered by WP LinkPress

Share this Presentation

Share this...

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Linkedin

Posted by James Alexander Gordon

Last updated: 2023-02-23 23:45:00

All Posts