10% of Children in Turkey Cannot Afford Fresh Fruits

In Turkey, it has been found that 94.5% of children are in good or very good health. According to TUIK data, it has emerged that 10 out of 100 children cannot afford to eat fresh fruits and vegetables due to financial constraints. The Turkish Statistical Institute announced the statistics for Child Health and Deprivation in 2024. When the overall health of children is examined, it is determined that 94.5% are in good or very good condition, with 4.6% at a moderate level, and 0.9% at a poor or very poor level. Analyzing the health status of children according to age groups, it is estimated that 95.1% of those aged 0-5 are in good or very good health, 94.7% of those aged 6-11, and 93.5% of those aged 12-15. The youngest age group, 0-5 years old, has been identified with 0.7% in poor or very poor health, while 0.9% of the 6-11 age group, and 1% of the 12-15 age group are in the same category. Among children with poor or very poor health conditions, it is indicated that 53.7% have had their daily activities severely restricted due to a health problem in the last 6 months, 40.9% have some limitations, and 5.4% have no restrictions. 9 OUT OF 100 CHILDREN CANNOT AFFORD CLOTHES According to the survey results, the household rate of all children aged 15 and under having new clothes is 88.6%, while 9.2% of households with children cannot afford new clothes due to financial constraints, and 2.2% due to other reasons. The household rate of all children aged 15 and under consuming fresh fruits and vegetables at least once a day is 86.7%, whereas 10% of households with children cannot afford to provide fresh fruits and vegetables daily due to financial reasons, with 3.3% due to other reasons. The household rate capable of covering the expense of a week-long holiday away from home for their children is 51.2%, while 22.2% cannot afford this due to financial constraints, and 26.6% due to other reasons. CHILDREN HAVE NO PLACE TO STUDY! According to the survey results, 80.8% of households with children aged 15 and under do not have a suitable place at home for study or homework due to financial constraints, 81% do not have toys to play with, and 81.1% do not have age-appropriate books in households where parents have education lower than high school. 27,401 FAMILIES WERE VISITED The study titled Child Health and Deprivation was conducted as a module in conjunction with the Income and Living Conditions Survey in 2024. This module, carried out simultaneously with EU countries, investigated the health and deprivation conditions of all children aged 15 and under in households. The research included all types of settlements, excluding university dormitories, guesthouses, child care institutions, orphanages, correctional facilities, military barracks, and army homes. The study visited a total of 27,401 households, where 25,925 surveys were conducted. The number of individuals aged 15 and above in sampled households totaled 61,940.