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Child labor in a rural Egyptian community: an epidemiological study

International Journal of Public Health volume 59, pages 637–644 (2014)Cite this article

Abstract

Objectives

Estimating the burden of child labor in a rural community of El-Minia governorate, Egypt and exploring its determinants and health impact.

Methods

One hundred and ninety nine children randomly participated from a randomly selected village; 147 (73.9 %) males and 52 (26.1 %) females, whose ages ranged from 6 to 17 years (mean age 12.1 ± 2.9). All children were subjected to interview questionnaire, and medical examination.

Results

Ninety (45.2 %) of the children reported that they are engaged in a work. The working children belonged to 65.6 and 85.6 % of illiterate fathers and mothers, respectively. The majority of the working children were engaged in jobs at quarries (58.9 %), followed by farming (21.1 %), then small proportions of children were working in other jobs. Poverty, big families and insufficient family’s income were the most frequently reported reasons for starting to work (80 %). There was a significant higher prevalence of the reported health complaints among working children.

Conclusions

Working children are at high risk of many health problems. Poverty, parents’ illiteracy, large family size and fathers’ absence are the driving force for child labor in the rural community of Eastern Minia.

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Acknowledgement

The authors would like to offer their sincere thanks to Ayman Soliman and Omnia Kamal, assistant lecturers of Occupational Medicine, at El-Minia University for their help in field work. We are grateful for all the children of Sawada village and their guardians, Eastern Minia, El-Minia, Egypt, for their participation in the study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, El-Minia University, University St., El-Minia, 1666, Egypt

    Eman Sameh Mohammed & Eman Mohammed Mahfouz

  2. Department of Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, El-Minia University, University St., El-Minia, 1666, Egypt

    Ashraf Abdel Azim Ewis

Authors
  1. Eman Sameh Mohammed
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  2. Ashraf Abdel Azim Ewis
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  3. Eman Mohammed Mahfouz
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eman Sameh Mohammed.

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Mohammed, E.S., Ewis, A.A.A. & Mahfouz, E.M. Child labor in a rural Egyptian community: an epidemiological study. Int J Public Health 59, 637–644 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-014-0559-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-014-0559-5

Keywords

  • Child labor
  • Minia
  • Quarries
  • Work-related hazards
  • Health impact