JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Food insecurity continues to be a risk for college students in the United States. It is associated with numerous problems, such as chronic health conditions, increased stress and anxiety, and lower grade point average. After COVID-19, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits were extended to college-age students, however there were some barriers to participation which persisted such as lack of perceived food insecurity risk, lack of knowledge regarding the SNAP application process, the complexity of determining eligibility, and stigma associated with needing social assistance. A technology-enhanced tool was developed to address these barriers to SNAP enrollment and encourage at-risk college students to apply for SNAP.

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to test the usability and acceptability of a web-based SNAP screening tool designed for college-aged students.

Methods:

College students ages 18-25 years were recruited to participate in two rounds of usability testing during Fall 2022. Participants tested the prototype of a web-based SNAP screener tool using a standardized think-aloud method. Usability and acceptability of the tool was assessed using a semi-structured interview and a 10-item validated System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaire. Audio recordings and field notes were systematically reviewed by extracting and sorting feedback as positive or negative comments. SUS questionnaire data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and sign test.

Results:

A total of 12 students (mean age 21.8 (SD 2.8) years; 50% undergraduate; 92% female; 58% Hispanic or Black/African American; 78% low/very low food security) participated in both rounds of user testing. Round 1 (R1) testing highlighted overall positive experiences with the tool, with most participants (10/12) stating that the website fulfills its primary objective as a support tool to encourage college students to apply for SNAP. However, issues related to user interface design, navigation and wording of some questions in the screening tool were noted. Key changes after R1 reflected these concerns, including improved design of response buttons and tool logo, and improved clarity of screening questions. Overall system usability tended to improve between R1 and R2 (91.25 vs 92.50; P=0.10, respectively). A trend towards increased learnability was also observed between both rounds (87.50 vs 100; P=0.06, respectively).

Conclusions:

Overall usability findings suggest this web-based tool was highly usable and acceptable to urban college students, and could be an effective and appealing approach as a support tool to introduce college students to the SNAP application process. Findings from this study will inform further development of the tool, which could eventually be disseminated publicly among various college campuses.