Food access for UT Austin students : a case study of West Campus student shopping behaviors and the food environment

Abstract

West Campus, the neighborhood located just west of The University of Texas at Austin, is predominantly made up of students. West Campus is known for its fast food, restaurants, shops, bars, liquor stores and towering apartment complexes that charge a steep rent. West Campus also has a grocery store. However, the local grocery store does not have affordable or quality groceries that an individual would expect from a grocery store. Using a survey distributed to students in West Campus, this professional report addresses: whether students are grocery shopping in West Campus, where students living in West Campus do their grocery shopping and if this impacts their ability to eat healthy. In general, it was found that most students living in West Campus are not satisfied with their grocery store options in West Campus and, when possible, will travel further to another grocery store to do their grocery shopping.