Study: Half of U.S. Kids Will Be on Food Stamps at Some Point in Life
Nearly half of all U.S. children and nearly 90% of black children will receive food stamps at some point during their childhood, according to a study published Monday in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, the AP/San Jose Mercury News reports.
The researchers said the findings have important implications for the medical community because children on food stamps often experience malnutrition and other health problems.
Researchers found that 49% of all children received food stamps at some point before age 20, including 90% of black children and 37% of white children. The study did not examine other ethnic groups.
Impact of Recession
Researchers note that the findings do not account for the impact of the current recession, which likely has driven more families to apply for food stamps.In an editorial accompanying the study, Stanford University pediatrician Paul Wise wrote, "The current recession is likely to generate for children in the United States the greatest level of material deprivation that we will see in our professional lifetimes" (Tanner, AP/San Jose Mercury News, 11/2). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.