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The effects of work on the growth of Jordanian boys
Author(s) -
Hawamdeh H.,
Spencer N.
Publication year - 2003
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.1365-2214.2003.00328.x
Subject(s) - demography , bivariate analysis , per capita , per capita income , regression analysis , linear regression , mathematics , statistics , population , sociology
Objective To examine the effects of work on growth among boys aged 10–16 years in Jordan. Study design Cross‐sectional health survey comparing working and non‐working boys. Main outcomes Height for age z‐score; weight for age z‐score. Methods One hundred and thirty‐five working and 405 non‐working boys aged 10–16 years were studied in the Jordanian areas of Irbid, Jarash and North Jordan Valley. The boys and their mothers were interviewed and data collected on work status, child's smoking status, and family socio‐economic characteristics including per capita income, family size, maternal and paternal education, area of the house in square metres and expenditure on household durables. Height and weight were obtained at the time of interview. Linear regression models were fitted on height for age z‐score and weight for age z‐score. Results In bivariate analysis, child's work status ( r = −0.221), household per capita income ( r = 0.104), family size ( r = −0.102), house m 2 per capita ( r = 0.090) and monthly expenditure on durables ( r = 0.086) were significantly correlated with height z‐score. Work status ( P < 0.0001) and household m 2 per capita ( P = 0.002) were retained in the regression model fitted on height z‐score which explained 9.8% of the variance. The model fitted on weight z‐score explained 6.5% of the variance and work status ( P < 0.0001), household per capita income ( P = 0.041) were retained. Conclusions The results of this study suggest that, independent of a range of socio‐economic factors, work has a negative effect on child growth. Given the extent of child labour internationally these findings have profound implications for global child well‐being and for global social and economic policy.