Child work and labour among orphaned and abandoned children in five low and middle income countries.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The care and protection of the estimated 143,000,000 orphaned and abandoned
children (OAC) worldwide is of great importance to global policy makers and child
service providers in low and middle income countries (LMICs), yet little is known
about rates of child labour among OAC, what child and caregiver characteristics predict
child engagement in work and labour, or when such work infers with schooling. This
study examines rates and correlates of child labour among OAC and associations of
child labour with schooling in a cohort of OAC in 5 LMICs. METHODS: The Positive Outcomes
for Orphans (POFO) study employed a two-stage random sampling survey methodology to
identify 1480 single and double orphans and children abandoned by both parents ages
6-12 living in family settings in five LMICs: Cambodia, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, and
Tanzania. Regression models examined child and caregiver associations with: any work
versus no work; and with working <21, 21-27, and 28+ hours during the past week, and
child labour (UNICEF definition). RESULTS: The majority of OAC (60.7%) engaged in
work during the past week, and of those who worked, 17.8% (10.5% of the total sample)
worked 28 or more hours. More than one-fifth (21.9%; 13% of the total sample) met
UNICEF's child labour definition. Female OAC and those in good health had increased
odds of working. OAC living in rural areas, lower household wealth and caregivers
not earning an income were associated with increased child labour. Child labour, but
not working fewer than 28 hours per week, was associated with decreased school attendance.
CONCLUSIONS: One in seven OAC in this study were reported to be engaged in child labour.
Policy makers and social service providers need to pay close attention to the demands
being placed on female OAC, particularly in rural areas and poor households with limited
income sources. Programs to promote OAC school attendance may need to focus on the
needs of families as well as the OAC.
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Journal articlePermalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/5875Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1186/1472-698X-11-1Publication Info
Whetten, Rachel; Messer, Lynne; Ostermann, Jan; Whetten, Kathryn; Pence, Brian Wells;
Buckner, Megan; ... Positive Outcomes for Orphans (POFO) Research Team (2011). Child work and labour among orphaned and abandoned children in five low and middle
income countries. BMC Int Health Hum Rights, 11. pp. 1. 10.1186/1472-698X-11-1. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/5875.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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Show full item recordScholars@Duke
Lynne Corinne Messer
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Global Health
This author no longer has a Scholars@Duke profile, so the information shown here reflects
their Duke status at the time this item was deposited.
Karen O'Donnell
Duke Temporary Service
My research interests are in early development risk: drug exposure, HIV infection,
and iodine deficiency. I have ongoing research in developmental outcomes of children
exposed prenatally to drugs and alcohol. They include the Infant Care Project (Pediatrics)
and the Family Care Project (Psychiatry). I am co-investigator on a NIDA study of
SIDS risk with prenatal cocaine exposure. I am involved at Duke and nationally in
the study of the neurodevelopmental effects of pediatric HIV infecti
Jan Ostermann
Adjunct Associate Professor of Global Health
Brian Wells Pence
Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health
Brian Wells Pence, PhD MPH, is trained as an infectious diseases epidemiologist.
His research interests focus primarily on the impact of trauma, mental illness, and
other psychosocial characteristics on HIV-related behaviors and clinical outcomes
and on the development of effective and practical interventiosn to address mental
illness in HIV patients.
Nathan Maclyn Thielman
Professor of Medicine
Broadly, my research focuses on a range of clinical and social issues that affect
persons living with or at risk for HIV infection in resource-poor settings. In Tanzania,
our group is applying novel methods to optimize HIV testing uptake among high-risk
groups. We recently demonstrated that the Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE), a form
of stated preference survey research, is a robust tool for identifying (a) which characteristics
of HIV testing options are most preferred by different populati
Kathryn Whetten
Professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy
Director, Center for Health Policy and Inequalities ResearchResearch Director, Hart
Fellows Program,Professor, Public Policy and Global Health Professor, Nursing and
Community & Family Medicine Pronouns: they/themKathryn Whetten is the Principal Investigator
on multiple grants and publishes numerous scientific articles every year. In addition,
they mentor many students and give guest lectures and presentations throughout the
year.
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