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

• A. Single women head households by choice and therefore experience food insecurity only because they refuse to participate in food assistance programs even when eligible.
• B. Single women are always less likely to use community resources like pantries, so statistics overestimate their actual food insecurity compared with two-parent households.
• C. 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.
• D. 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.

Answer: (C)