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Health consequences of child labour in Bangladesh

Author

Listed:
  • Salma Ahmad

    (Deakin University)

  • Ranjan Ray

    (Monash University)

Abstract

Background: The paper examines the effect of child labour on child health outcomes in Bangladesh, advancing the methodologies and the results of papers published in different journals. Objective: We examine the effect of child labour on child health outcomes. Methods: We used Bangladesh National Child Labour Survey data for 2002-2003 for our analysis. Results: The main finding of the paper suggests that child labour is positively and significantly associated with the probability of being injured or becoming ill. Intensity of injury or illness is significantly higher in construction and manufacturing sectors than in other sectors. Health disadvantages for different age groups are not essentially parallel. Conclusions: The results obtained in this paper strengthen the need for stronger enforcement of laws that regulate child labour, especially given its adverse consequences on health. Although the paper focuses on Bangladesh, much of the evidence presented has implications that are relevant to policymakers in other developing countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Salma Ahmad & Ranjan Ray, 2014. "Health consequences of child labour in Bangladesh," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 30(4), pages 111-150.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:demres:v:30:y:2014:i:4
    DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2014.30.4
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    Cited by:

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    2. Hasna Hena Sara & Anisur Rahman Bayazid & Zahidul Quayyum, 2022. "Occupational Health Sufferings of Child Waste Workers in South Asia: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-24, July.
    3. Delphine BOUTIN & Marine JOUVIN, 2022. "Child Labour Consequences on Education and Health: A Review of Evidence and Knowledge Gaps," Bordeaux Economics Working Papers 2022-14, Bordeaux School of Economics (BSE).
    4. Paul Chaney, 2017. "Limited Gains, Enduring Violations," Journal of South Asian Development, , vol. 12(3), pages 286-307, December.
    5. Delphine Boutin & Marine Jouvin, 2022. "Child Labour Consequences on Education and Health: A Review of Evidence and Knowledge Gaps," Working Papers hal-03896700, HAL.
    6. Brice Lionel Batomen Kuimi & Oduro Oppong-Nkrumah & Jay Kaufman & Jose Ignacio Nazif-Munoz & Arijit Nandi, 2018. "Child labour and health: a systematic review," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 63(5), pages 663-672, June.
    7. Salma Ahmad & Ranjan Ray, 2014. "Health consequences of child labour in Bangladesh," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 30(4), pages 111-150.
    8. Kazi Abusaleh & M. Rezaul Islam & Md. Mokter Ali & Mohammad Asif Khan & Md. Shahinuzzaman & Md. Imdadul Haque, 2022. "Prevalence of Economic Exploitations and Their Determinants Among Child Labourers in Dhaka City, Bangladesh: A Mixed-Method Study," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 15(1), pages 87-106, February.
    9. Md Abdul Ahad & Mitu Chowdhury & Yvonne K. Parry & Eileen Willis, 2021. "Urban Child Labor in Bangladesh: Determinants and Its Possible Impacts on Health and Education," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-14, March.
    10. Andika Wahab & Ramli Dollah, 2023. "Measuring Child Labor in Oil Palm Production in Sabah, Malaysia," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, October.
    11. Simon Feeny & Alberto Posso & Ahmed Skali & Amalendu Jyotishi & Shyam Nath & P. K. Viswanathan, 2021. "Child labor and psychosocial wellbeing: Findings from India," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(4), pages 876-902, April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Bangladesh; health; child labor; injuries;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

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