Child Labor and Orphaned and Abandoned Children in Five Less Wealthy Nations

While potential detrimental effects of excessive labor on children's school attendance, physical and mental health, and well-being are evident, little research has explored excessive labor (defined as >22 hours / week) among orphaned and abandoned children (OAC). The Positive Outcomes for Orphans study employed two-stage random sampling to identify 1480 OAC ages 6-12 living in family settings across six study sites in five countries: Cambodia, India, Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia. Random-effects logistic models, with a fixed slope for each predictor variable but with randomly-distributed site-specific intercepts (to account for stratified sampling and clustering of children within sites) predicted dichotomous labor (labor versus no labor) and excessive labor. Findings suggest most children are engaged in some sort of labor (60%) and of those who labored, 51% did so for more than 22 hours per week. Child-level variables including female gender, living with a relative (non-parent) and older age are associated with increased odds of labor. Living with a non-relative and being in poor health appear protective against laboring, Poor health was the only child level variable that protected against excessive labor. Of caregiver characteristics, older age and not earning an income was associated with increased odds of child labor. While child and caregiver characteristics were associated with labor in general, only child gender, age and relationship to their caregiver were predictive of excessive labor. Policy makers need to pay attention to both child and caregiver characteristics when considering OAC placement.