Which explanation best interprets why single women heading households have consistently higher reported rates of food insecurity than two-parent households?

Single women head households by choice and therefore experience food insecurity only because they refuse to participate in food assistance programs even when eligible.

Single women are always less likely to use community resources like pantries, so statistics overestimate their actual food insecurity compared with two-parent households.

Single women often have lower household income and fewer economies of scale, may face wage gaps and childcare costs, and therefore have a higher risk of poverty-driven inability to consistently secure nutritious food.

Single women typically receive more government benefits than two-parent households, which paradoxically increases measured food insecurity rates due to paperwork complexity rather than actual need.