University of California researchers have found that campus food pantries may help improve college students' overall well-being, including mental and physical health and sleep sufficiency, especially for those experiencing food insecurity. Study results from a 2019 online survey of 1,855 University of California students that used their campus food pantries showed that students who visited their campus food pantry more frequently reported improved perceived health, improved mental health (fewer depressive symptoms), and improved sleep sufficiency. The study was published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior by principal investigator Suzanna Martinez from the UC San Francisco Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, along with co-authors Gwen Chodur from UC Davis, Erin Esaryk from UCSF and the UC Nutrition Policy Institute, Sevan Kaladjian from UC Irvine Center for Educational Partnerships, Lorrene Ritchie from the UC NPI, and Michael Grandner from the University of Arizona Department of Psychiatry. The study was funded by the state legislature to the University of California Basic Needs Initiative.