2017.06.09
Many children of two-income families eat dinner alone
Urasoe City conducted a survey among elementary and junior high school children and their parents in the city regarding their meal habits.
According to survey results, 4.5% of the 5th grade elementary school children eat their dinner alone, while 13.6% of 2nd grade junior high school children answered the same. Both results were almost double of the whole prefecture. Urasoe City officials think the reason is that there are many families with both parents working.
Regarding breakfast, 15.2% of the 5th grade elementary school children eat alone (10.8% in the whole Okinawa), and 26.7% of the 2nd grade junior high school children do so (23.2% the whole Okinawa). Both of them exceeded the rates of the whole Okinawa.
Regarding the family budget, 54.0% of families with 1st grade elementary school children (44.1% in the whole Okinawa) and 52.3% of families with 5th grade elementary school children (45.4% in the whole Okinawa) answered “in red”.
24.1% of families with the 1st grade elementary school children (19.1% in the whole Okinawa), 18.1% of families with the 5th grade elementary school children (17.1%), and 19.7% of families with the 2nd grade junior high school children (18.2% the whole Okinawa) answered “yes” when asked whether they ever had experienced their utilities cut ff because of unpaid bills..