Los Angeles, Mar 14 (EFE).- One in five families with average income in the US has had to skip a meal in the last year due to the increase in food prices, according to a survey revealed this Tuesday by the campaign to end child hunger No Kid Hungry.
The study, conducted among 3,000 parents of public school children, found that an “overwhelming number of parents face challenges providing meals for their children.”
58% of middle-income parents stressed that it has become more difficult to pay for food for their children. Of these, 95% reported that, at least once a month, they struggle to pay for enough food for their children.
The situation is worse for low-income families, with 68% reporting that it has become more difficult to pay for enough food for their children in the past year.
This situation is affecting the youngest in the family, 41% of parents with low income and 45% with average income noticed a negative change in the mental health of their children as a result of not having enough to eat.
Physical health has also been affected, with 41% of middle-income parents reporting noticing negative changes in their children’s physical health, as did 35% of low-income parents.
The top reason these parents cited in their struggle to feed their families is rising food prices, as reported by 93% of middle-income parents and 87% of low-income parents.
In addition to the cost of food, 74% of low-income families reported that rising costs for other necessities, such as utilities, gas, rent, and clothing, contributed to their difficulty buying enough food.
Two in five low-income families said an unexpected car repair or unforeseen medical bill made it more difficult for them to pay for enough food for their children. Among middle-income families, 50% reported the same.
Diana Hovey, vice president of Share Our Strength, which is responsible for the No Kid Hungry campaign, said in a statement that “Families in the United States are suffering, we all have a neighbor, a relative or a friend living under the constant stress of being able to feed to his children”.
