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Brief Reports

Indian Pediatrics 2000;37: 1359-1360

Relative Risk and Prevalence of Illness Related to Child Labor in a Rural Block


A.S. Daga

From the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Grant Medical College, Mumbai, India.

Correspondence to: Dr. A.S. Daga, 1/11 Staff Quarters, J.J. Hospital, Mumbai 400 008, India.

Manuscript received: August 4, 1998

Initial review completed: September 24, 1998

Revision accepted: June 14, 2000

Children are at a tender age where they are in a process of growing up. They need a good and healthy environment for their optimal physical and mental development. There is scant information on child labor from rural areas. The present study was, therefore, conducted to determine the possible socio-economic factors and common childhood illnesses associated with child labor in rural areas.

 Subject and Methods

The study was conducted in Dahanu block of Thane district in Maharashtra in October 1997. Ten clusters (villages/subcenters) from the catchment areas of nine primary health centers were selected, the population ranging from 500-4000. Fifty per cent of the population was surveyed in each center selecting an alternate household as a study unit. The clusters were selected by random sampling.

Information was collected regarding common illnesses like diarrhea, acute respira-tory infections, malaria and worm infestation from working children and their point prevalence was estimated. Selected factors known to be associated with the risk of child labor were studied and their relative risk was calculated by Mantel Hanszel method. These factors included father’s occupation and schooling, mother’s occupation and school-ing, family income and child’s schooling.

 Results

Among 1679 children in 6-14 years age group, 62 were working (3.8%). The point prevalence for diarrhea, ARI, worm infesta-tion and malaria was higher among working children (Table I). The risk of child labor was higher when the father was an unskilled worker, had schooling less than 5 years, mother had less than 5 years of schooling, she was an agricultural laborer, child had no schooling and when family income was less than Rs. 500 p.m. (Table II).

Table I - Point Prevalence (per thousand) of Common illnesses Among 
Working and Non-Working Children

Illness Non-working Working
Diarrhea 43 56.2
ARI 90 98.3
Worm Inf. 48 53
Malaria 25.9 34

Table II - Relative Risk of Child Labor for Selected Factors

Factor Working Non - working Relative risk
1. Father’s occupation
       Skilled
       Unskilled

5(8)
57(92)

832(24.9)
1665(75.1)

3.3
2. Father’s schooling
       0-4 years
       >4 years

59(95)
3(5)

2532(77.6)
731(22.4)

5.5
3. Mother’s schooling
       0-4 years
       >4 years

62
0

2892(84.8)
516(15.2)
 
4. Mother’s occupation
       Agricultural laborer 
       Housewife

60
2

3045(92.5)
255(7.5)

2.4
5. Child’s schooling
       No schooling
       Primary education

60(96.8)
2(3.2)

2532(90.4)
267(9.6)

3.9
6. Family income
       Upto Rs.500 p.m.
       >= Rs. 500 p.m.

55(87.3)
7(12.7)

2703(86.6)
647(13.4)

2
Figures in parantheses indicate percentages.
 Discussion

Child labor is associated with socio-economic compulsions. Therefore, it is expected to be associated with other para-meters of socio-economic under-develop-ment. High rates of malnutrition and ill-health are found among working children(1). Banerjee(2) found different grades of malnutrition in 55.7% male and 29.5% female working children in Calcutta. Eighty three per cent fathers, 93.9% mothers and 55.8% child workers were illiterate. Low per capita income was noted in 70.3% families. A high proportion of working children were found to suffer from respiratory infections (31.8%) and gastrointestinal infections(33.8%).

Among agricultural child workers, prevalence of respiratory and gastrointestinal infections were still higher(3). The rates of malnutrition were higher; 77.4% in boys and 88.5% in girls. This study shows high prevalence of gastrointestinal and respiratory infections among child workers. The risk of child labor was higher when father had less years of schooling, unskilled occupation, mother had less years of schooling, mother was an agricultural laborer, when family income was less than Rs. 500 per month and when the child had no schooling. Banerjee found that major determinants of child labor were, general fertility rate, high percentage of agricultural proportion, percentage of home-less population and landless households, general literacy and school enrolment, wage rate and expectation of life at birth(4). These studies suggest that overall development of a community is essential to reduce the severity of the problem of child labor.

Funding: None.
Competing interests:
None stated.

  References
  1. Pellet P. Malnutrition, wealth and develop-ment. Food Nutr Bull 1961; 3: 28-32.

  2. Banerjee SR. Child labor in suburban areas of Calcutta, West Bengal. Indian Pediatr 1991; 28: 1038-1042.

  3. Banerjee SR. Agricultural child labor in West Bengal. Indian Pediatr 1993; 30: 1425-1428.

  4. Banerjee SR. Child labor in India: Present status. Indian Pediatr 1995; 32: 403-408.

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