Survey of Supported Low-Income Households Finds Many Plan Smaller Meals and Less Air Conditioning During Summer Break

Low-income families in Japan are reducing children's food intake and restricting air conditioning during summer vacation, a survey by the nonprofit Kidsdoor has found. The Tokyo-based group surveyed households registered with its family support program from June 1 to June 8 and received 1,449 valid responses. More than 90 percent were single-parent families.

Among the 1,012 households with elementary or junior high school children, 64 percent said the absence of school lunches would force them to serve smaller portions at each meal. Sixty-one percent expected more days without meat or fish, and 44 percent said their children would be less likely to eat three meals a day. Food insecurity was already common before the break.

Fifty-seven percent of all respondents reported days when their children could not eat enough because of financial difficulties, and 19 percent said this occurred almost every day. Among households earning less than ¥1 million annually, 31 percent reported children going without enough food nearly every day, and more than 30 percent said their children were thinner or shorter than peers.

Parents linked insufficient food to health effects including irritability, restlessness, frequent illness, anemia and generally poor health.

Thirty-eight percent of respondents planned to limit air conditioning use even when needed, while 6 percent said they would hardly use it at all. Mental health effects were also reported. Forty-four percent of respondents said they always or often felt extremely depressed when thinking about summer vacation, and half of those parents said they had no one to consult.