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Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2022

Open Access 01-12-2022 | Research

Work-related injuries among 5 – 17 years-old working children in Egypt: findings from a national child labor survey

Authors: Ahmed Mahmoud Fouad, Shaimaa A. A. M. Amer, Yasser Omar Abdellatif, Sally Fawzy Elotla

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2022

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Abstract

Background

Egypt has agreed and ratified international regulations that strict child labor. However, the country still struggles with high prevalence of child labor and the associated negative social and health effects. The objective of this study was to identify the prevalence and determinants of work-related injuries among working children in Egypt.

Methods

This study involved a secondary data analysis of the National Child Labor Survey (NCLS) conducted in 2010 by The Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) in Egypt with technical and financial support from the ILO’s International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor (IPEC) through its Statistical Information and Monitoring Program on Child Labor (SIMPOC). The total number of working children who responded to questions of work-related injuries in the NCLS child questionnaire was 7485 children.

Results

The prevalence of work-related injuries among working children in Egypt was estimated as 24.1% (95% CI: 22.0%—26.2%), of whom the majority were superficial wounds (87.3%). Among children who reported work-related injuries, 57.9% did not stop work or schooling because of the most serious injury, while 39.6% had stopped temporarily and 2.6% had stopped completely. The main determinants of work-related injuries among working children in the study sample were gender (boys), age of starting work (5–11 years), type of main economic activity (industry and services), type of main workplace (plantation, farms, or garden), the average work hours per week (28 h or more), and exposure to ergonomic and safety, and chemical hazards at work.

Conclusions

The estimated high prevalence of work-related injuries among working children aged 5–17 years in Egypt raises the health risks concerns associated with child labor. Findings of this study on the determinants of work-related injuries could guide policies and interventions to combat child labor and the associated health risks, including work-related injuries.
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Metadata
Title
Work-related injuries among 5 – 17 years-old working children in Egypt: findings from a national child labor survey
Authors
Ahmed Mahmoud Fouad
Shaimaa A. A. M. Amer
Yasser Omar Abdellatif
Sally Fawzy Elotla
Publication date
01-12-2022
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2022
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13689-6

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