Which health-related mechanism links poverty to higher illness risk in children?

• A. Higher intake of sugary snacks
• B. Lower intake of energy and vitamins leading to weaker immune system
• C. Better nutrition due to free meals
• D. Increased access to healthcare

Answer: (B)

Poverty can limit the quality and quantity of food a child gets, and energy plus essential vitamins and minerals are needed to keep the immune system strong. When a child doesn’t receive enough calories or key nutrients, immune defenses—like immune cells and barriers that ward off infections—don’t work as well. That makes infections more likely and can lead to more frequent or severe illnesses. So describing lower intake of energy and vitamins leading to a weaker immune system directly explains why poverty is linked to higher illness risk.

The other options don’t match this mechanism. Sugary snacks relate to diet quality but don’t describe the immune-weakening effect of inadequate nutrition. Free meals would imply better nutrition and a lower illness risk, not a higher one. Increased access to healthcare would also tend to reduce illness risk, not increase it.