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Growth of working boys in Jordan: a cross‐sectional survey using non‐working male siblings as comparisons
Author(s) -
Hawamdeh H.,
Spencer N.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
child: care, health and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.832
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1365-2214
pISSN - 0305-1862
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2214.2002.00238.x
Subject(s) - wasting , demography , working mother , cross sectional study , working hours , working age , medicine , working memory , family income , psychology , developmental psychology , environmental health , population , cognition , pathology , labour economics , psychiatry , sociology , economic growth , economics , endocrinology
ObjectivesTo study the effects of work on growth of Jordanian boys, aged 10–16 years, using non‐working male siblings as controls.SettingThe Jordanian areas of Irbid, Jarash and the North Jordan Valley.Study designCross‐sectional survey of working boys and their non‐working brothers.Main outcomesHeight‐for‐age z‐score; weight‐for‐age z‐score.MethodsWorking boys (103) and non‐working male siblings (103) (nearest in age to the working child) were interviewed, with their mothers, in the family home. Heights and weights of the working boys and their non‐working male siblings were measured, and capillary blood was taken for packed‐cell volume estimation. Heights and weights were converted to z‐scores, and means for all three outcomes were compared between working boys and non‐working siblings, using independent sample t ‐tests. The effect of the proportion of household income contributed by the working child’s income on the main outcomes, among non‐working siblings, was estimated by simple linear regression.ResultsMeans for height‐for‐age z‐score (p < 0.001), weight‐for‐age z‐score (p < 0.001), and packed‐cell volume (p < 0.001) among working boys were significantly lower than means for their non‐working siblings. The main outcomes among non‐working siblings were not significantly correlated with the proportion of household income contributed by the working child.ConclusionsThe results of this study suggest that work among boys aged 10–16 years in Jordan puts them at increased risk of stunting, wasting and anaemia. Previous studies have suggested this relationship but have suffered from confounding by socioeconomic status. Comparison with non‐working siblings reduces the chances of socioeconomic status confounding.