Darmon, Nicole, and Adam Drewnowski. “Contribution of Food Prices and Diet Cost to Socioeconomic Disparities in Diet Quality and Health: A Systematic Review and Analysis.” Nutrition Reviews, vol. 73, no. 10, 2015, pp. 643–60.
This article analyzes the relationship between energy density and price of common food groups. The authors conduct a global study of price and energy density for major food groups, finding that less “healthy” and more energy-dense foods are less expensive per calorie than “healthier” foods, lower-quality diets are less expensive, these less expensive diets are more likely to be picked by lower-income groups, and this pattern can be reversible. This article will be helpful in outlining a general background of food relationships that may highlight some of the socialization processes that first-generation, low-income college students have undergone in their relationships with food. Though this article is not specific to the United States, it draws on information from many “Western” countries (including the U.S.) that may also be helpful in understanding the answers from some of our international respondents.
Davis, Jeff. “The Internal Psychology of First-Generation College Students.” The First-Generation Student Experience: Implications for Campus Practice, and Strategies for Improving Persistence and Success, 1st ed, Stylus, 2010, pp. 58–86.
This book chapter illuminates some of the psychological struggles that first-generation college students may face. This relates to our discussion of class-based access to and conceptions of health, especially as this source alludes to the idea of imposter syndrome. This phenomenon came up in some of our interviews, and related greatly to students’ sense of mental health at Bowdoin. This chapter, however, focuses on the experiences of first-generation college students specifically. The author does mention some experiences specific to first-generation low-income college students, but they do not commit to navigating these complexities throughout the entire discussion.
Downs, Nancy, et al. “Be True to Our Schools—Models of Care in College Mental Health.” Current Psychiatry Reports, vol. 20, no. 72, 2018, pp. 1–8.
This article investigates the strengths and weaknesses of various college mental health care models. The authors acknowledge the high need for psychiatric and psychological care among college students, and it analyzes the lack of resources in place across many campuses to address this high demand. Additionally, the authors offer potential solutions, such as behavioral intervention teams, or “groups of campus professionals who meet regularly to identify students at risk and then to intervene before a serious problem arises” (Downs et al. 3). Though this article does not address the psychological or psychiatric problems commonly shared among first-generation low-income college students, it will provide fruitful background information that we may utilize in our analysis of mental health struggles for FGLI students and how these are widely unaddressed at Bowdoin.
El Zein, Aseel, et al. “Prevalence and Correlates of Food Insecurity Among U.S. College Students: A Multi-Institutional Study.” BMC Public Health, vol. 19, no. 660, 2019, pp. 1–12.
This article investigates the prevalence of food insecurity among college students in the U.S. and, more specifically, investigates classed experiences of food insecurity on college campuses through a survey on from eight universities (University of Florida, University of Maine, University of Tennessee, Auburn University, South Dakota State University, Kansas State University, Syracuse University, and West Virginia University). The article relates food security/insecurity to GPA, mental health, sleep deprivation, and disordered eating. This article will be helpful in discussing our respondents’ discussion of health as it relates to food. Additionally, this piece will be helpful in discussing how relationships with food may also impact other forms of health for first-generation low-income college students. A significant drawback of this piece is its use of health measures like body mass index and reliance on standards of obesity/non-obesity, both of which can be problematic and insufficient when used as indicators of health. However, I do not feel the use of these terms is pervasive enough to delegitimize the research and findings of this study.
Gallagher, Kristel M. “What Do We Know About the Health of First-Generation College Students? A First Look at Compensatory Health Beliefs and Behavior.” Perspectives In Learning, vol. 18, no. 1, Oct. 2019, pp. 37–45.
This source highlights the negative relationship between the use of compensatory health beliefs and healthy practices among first generation college students. More specifically, the article finds that an increase in compensatory health beliefs correlated with a decrease in healthy practices. Additionally, the article contextualizes this use of compensatory health beliefs, explaining that first generation college students are more likely to drop out if they believe they are in poor health. However, a significant drawback of this source is the broad meaning of “health,” which the author neglects to define to provide context for these conclusions. Significantly, dominant conceptions of health are often related to race and class, and this fact goes unobserved in this piece. Even so, this piece provides important starting points for research on the health of first generation college students, a subject which has very little existing research. We plan to utilize this information to compare the use of CHBs to health practices common at Bowdoin, analyzing the implications of any similarities and differences.
Goward, Shonda L. “First-Generation Student Status Is Not Enough: How Acknowledging Students with Working-Class Identities Can Help Us Better Serve Students.” About Campus: Enriching the Student Learning Experience, vol. 23, no. 4, Sept. 2018, pp. 19–26. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1177/1086482218817534.
This article discusses why the label of “first generation college student” is not enough to understand the complexities in the experiences of first generation, low-income college students, and the author calls for people to understand these complexities in order to create a more equitable space for first generation, low-income college students. The author explains that although it is undoubtedly difficult to be a first-generation college student, growing up low-income creates a socialized behavior that is almost inescapable. Although this piece is very opinion-based and less based on figures and data, this opinion mirrors our thought processes in deciding to interview FGLI Bowdoin students. The article is opinion-based, but these opinions are vital in unpacking the significance in investigating the first generation low-income experience.
Kiebler, Jessica M., and Abigail J. Stewart. “Student Experiences of the COVID‐19 Pandemic: Perspectives from First‐generation/Lower‐income Students and Others.” Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, vol. 22, no. 1, Apr. 2022, pp. 198–224. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1111/asap.12288.
This article illustrates the experiences of first generation low-income college students during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, comparing and contrasting these experiences with those of non-FGLI students. The authors investigate stress, classist stereotypes in higher education, and cultural mismatches, and allows first generation low-income college students to convey the complexities of their experiences through a method of their choosing. After conducting a thematic analysis, the authors found three themes: changed environmental demands, comparison with others, and family and personal health vulnerabilities. This article will be useful in unpacking the institutional shortcomings in providing for first generation low-income students and how these shortcomings may negatively impact various aspects of student health.
Oduro-Manu, Afia. “Band-Aid on a Bullet Hole: The Plight of the Forgotten off-Campus, Low-Income First Years This Semester.” The Bowdoin Orient, 16 Apr. 2021, https://bowdoinorient.com/2021/04/16/band-aid-on-a-bullet-hole-the-plight-of-the-forgotten-off-campus-low-income-first-years-this-semester/.
This article from the Bowdoin Orient highlights some complexities of the remote experience that low-income students faced during the COVID-19 shutdowns. The author explains some of the institutional barriers that they encountered while trying to request on-campus housing during remote learning, expressing their frustrations in the constant rejections of their applications and appeals for on-campus residency. These rejections represent a larger institutional denial for first-generation low-income college students and the resources they may require for success. Though this is not an academic, peer-reviewed paper, it does highlight the complexities of the first-generation low-income experience at Bowdoin, and it will be useful in expanding upon our respondents’ answers regarding their experiences during remote learning.
“Wellness Outreach Services.” Counseling and Wellness Services, https://www.bowdoin.edu/counseling/wellness-services/index.html. Accessed 12 May 2022.
This source comes from the Wellness Services section of the Bowdoin College website. This site details the health and wellness resources available to students on campus, including scheduled fitness classes, acupuncture clinics, reiki clinics, meditation, healing workshops, and yoga. Though this site is not a peer-reviewed or scholarly source, it does provide insightful information on what certain resources for health and wellness may look like. We plan to use this information to reflect on the resources available to students, our respondents’ discussion of resources on campus, and how this may relate to the use of compensatory health beliefs.
Weti, Katrina. “The Mental Health of BIPOC and FGLI Students Still Requires Our Attention.” Today’s Students Coalition, 5 May 2021, https://medium.com/todays-students-coalition/the-mental-health-of-bipoc-and-fgli-students-still-requires-our-attention-a9d263f95dd.
This article provides an overview of the struggles that BIPOC and FGLI students face on college campuses, such as imposter syndrome, fear of burdening others, and financial hardships. This overview is significant to our project, as multiple respondents are both FGLI and POC Bowdoin students. Though this article is not a scholarly, peer-reviewed piece, it will be helpful in outlining some of the struggles that these students may face.