IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i13p7938-d850773.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Child Labor and Psychosocial Wellbeing: Findings from Ethiopia

Author

Listed:
  • Cécile Fanton d’Andon

    (Care and Protection of Children Learning Network, Program on Forced Migration and Health, Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 60 Haven Avenue, B2-221, New York, NY 10032, USA)

  • Claire Greene

    (Program on Forced Migration and Health, Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 60 Haven Avenue, B2-221, New York, NY 10032, USA)

  • Catherine Pellenq

    (Laboratoire de Recherche sur les Apprentissages en Contexte/Research Laboratory on Learnings in Context, Grenoble-Alpes University, LARAC/1251 Avenue Centrale, Domaine Universitaire, 38000 Grenoble, France)

  • Tesfahun Melese Yilma

    (Dabat Research Center, Department of Health Informatics, Institute of Public Health, University of Gondar, Gondar 6200, Ethiopia)

  • Muriel Champy

    (Department of Anthropology, Aix-Marseille University, 13015 Marseille, France)

  • Mark Canavera

    (Care and Protection of Children Learning Network, Program on Forced Migration and Health, Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 60 Haven Avenue, B2-221, New York, NY 10032, USA)

  • Chiara Pasquini

    (Care and Protection of Children Learning Network, Program on Forced Migration and Health, Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 60 Haven Avenue, B2-221, New York, NY 10032, USA)

Abstract

For children who work, there has been little research into the intricate relationship between their home lives and their work lives and the implications that this relationship might hold for their psychosocial development and functioning. This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Amhara region, Ethiopia, between March and April 2020 on a sample of 1311 working children with the aim, in part, of exploring ways in which various dimensions of children’s psychological wellbeing are influenced by their working conditions and their family contexts. In addition to collecting data on some personal traits, family relationships, home environments, and detailed occupational characteristics, we gathered information on psychosocial wellbeing using 22 items from the Instrument for the Psychosocial Assessment of Working Children (IPAC). Exploratory factor analysis enabled us to identify five factors characterizing the dimensions of psychosocial wellbeing: work-related self-esteem, work-related stress, workplace supervision, emotional and somatic wellbeing, and self-determination. Linear regressions of these factors were then conducted on social, occupational, and environmental variables. We found that all dimensions of psychosocial wellbeing were significantly associated with the children’s working conditions. Of particular interest, work-related dimensions of wellbeing, such as stress, self-esteem, and supervision, were significantly associated with the characteristics of the home and family environment. These findings illustrate that work and working conditions must be considered jointly, along with family life and home environments, as factors in both environments affect working children’s socioemotional development and wellbeing. They also strengthen the call for a systemic approach to protecting children involved in child labor, in which families are central to all discussions.

Suggested Citation

  • Cécile Fanton d’Andon & Claire Greene & Catherine Pellenq & Tesfahun Melese Yilma & Muriel Champy & Mark Canavera & Chiara Pasquini, 2022. "Child Labor and Psychosocial Wellbeing: Findings from Ethiopia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-20, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:13:p:7938-:d:850773
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/13/7938/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/13/7938/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rima R Habib & Diana Mikati & Josleen Al-Barathie & Elio Abi Younes & Mohammed Jawad & Khalil El Asmar & Micheline Ziadee, 2021. "Work-related injuries among Syrian refugee child workers in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon: A gender-sensitive analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(9), pages 1-17, September.
    2. Ben-Arieh, Asher, 2012. "How do we measure and monitor the “state of our children”?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 569-575.
    3. Trong-Anh Trinh, 2020. "Mental Health Impacts of Child Labour: Evidence from Vietnam and India," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(12), pages 2251-2265, December.
    4. 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.
    5. Asher Ben-Arieh, 2005. "Where are the Children? Children’s Role in Measuring and Monitoring Their Well-Being," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 74(3), pages 573-596, December.
    6. Temidayo James Aransiola & Marcelo Justus, 2018. "Intergenerational Persistence of Child Labor in Brazil," Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics, in: Nicholas Tsounis & Aspasia Vlachvei (ed.), Advances in Panel Data Analysis in Applied Economic Research, chapter 0, pages 613-630, Springer.
    7. 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.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. 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).
    2. Opoku Adabor, 2025. "Empirical analysis of child labour, household poverty, and child health in Ghana," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 33(1), pages 29-60, January.
    3. Dibyasree Ganguly & Srinivas Goli & Oriel Sullivan, 2023. "Gender, Paid Work, and Mental Health of Adolescents and Young Adults in Resource-Poor Settings of India," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 16(3), pages 1137-1170, June.
    4. Danusha Jayawardana & Nadezhda V. Baryshnikova & Terence C. Cheng, 2023. "The long shadow of child labour on adolescent mental health: a quantile approach," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 64(1), pages 77-97, January.
    5. Anne M. Gadermann & Martin Guhn & Kimberly A. Schonert-Reichl & Shelley Hymel & Kimberly Thomson & Clyde Hertzman, 2016. "A Population-Based Study of Children’s Well-Being and Health: The Relative Importance of Social Relationships, Health-Related Activities, and Income," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 17(5), pages 1847-1872, October.
    6. Jennifer Fane & Colin MacDougall & Jessie Jovanovic & Gerry Redmond & Lisa Gibbs, 2020. "Preschool Aged Children’s Accounts of their Own Wellbeing: are Current Wellbeing Indicators Applicable to Young Children?," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 13(6), pages 1893-1920, December.
    7. Hong, Rachel T.Y. & Goh, Esther C.L., 2019. "Using photo elicitation interviewing to access the subjective well-being of children from poor families within an affluent Asian society: Insights for service delivery," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 430-438.
    8. Mónica Domínguez-Serrano & Lucía del Moral-Espín, 2022. "The Capability Approach and Child Well-Being: A Systematic Literature Review," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 15(6), pages 2043-2063, December.
    9. Dagmar Kutsar & Kadri Soo & Tomasz Strózik & Dorota Strózik & Brindusa Grigoraș & Sergiu Bălțătescu, 2019. "Does the Realisation of Children’s Rights Determine Good Life in 8-Year-Olds’ Perspectives? A Comparison of Eight European Countries," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 12(1), pages 161-183, February.
    10. Delphine Boutin & Marine Jouvin, 2022. "Child Labour Consequences on Education and Health: A Review of Evidence and Knowledge Gaps," Working Papers hal-03896700, HAL.
    11. Catherine Pellenq & Laurent Lima & Susan Gunn, 2022. "Education, Age and Gender: Critical Factors in Determining Interventions for Child Brick Workers in Pakistan and Afghanistan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-11, June.
    12. Enrico Fornasiero, 2024. "The Impact of Non-Governmental Organisations on Children’s Wellbeing: Evidence from Ethiopia," Working Papers 2024: 18, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari".
    13. Lisa A. Newland & Daniel Mourlam & Gabrielle Strouse, 2018. "A Phenomenological Exploration of the Role of Digital Technology and Media in Children’s Subjective Well-Being," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 11(5), pages 1563-1583, October.
    14. Satish Kumar & Filomena Maggino & Raj V. Mahto & Riya Sureka & Leonardo Salvatore Alaimo & Weng Marc Lim, 2022. "Social Indicators Research: A Retrospective Using Bibliometric Analysis," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 162(1), pages 413-448, July.
    15. Ben-Arieh, Asher, 2006. "Is the study of the "State of our children" changing? Re-visiting after 5 years," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(7), pages 799-811, July.
    16. Tania Clarke & Ruth Platt, 2023. "Children’s Lived Experiences of Wellbeing at School in England: a Phenomenological Inquiry," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 16(3), pages 963-996, June.
    17. Ashley Stewart-Tufescu & Elizabeth Huynh & Robert Chase & Javier Mignone, 2019. "The Life Story Board: A Task-Oriented Research Tool to Explore Children’s Perspectives of Well-Being," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 12(2), pages 525-543, April.
    18. Katz, Carmit & Hindi, Inbal & Kanar, Shikma & Tener, Dafna, 2022. "“Sometimes it's harder to see than to experience”: The sibling subsystem in the context of parental abuse as conveyed by adult survivors," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    19. Cho, Esther Yin-Nei & Yu, Fuk-Yuen, 2020. "A review of measurement tools for child wellbeing," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    20. Mason, Jan & Hood, Suzanne, 2011. "Exploring issues of children as actors in social research," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 490-495, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:13:p:7938-:d:850773. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.