Health Effects of Child Work: Evidence from Rural Vietnam

Owen A O'Donnell (), Furio Rosati and Eddy Van Doorslaer
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Owen A O'Donnell: University of Macedonia

CEIS Research Paper from Tor Vergata University, CEIS

Abstract: We test whether work in childhood impacts on health. We focus on agricultural work, the dominant form of child work worldwide. Data are from the Vietnam Living Standards Survey, 1992-93 and 1997-98. We correct for both unobservable heterogeneity and simultaneity biases. Instruments include small area labour market and education conditions obtained from community level surveys. We use three indicators of health: body mass index; reported illness; and, height growth. There is clear evidence of a healthy worker selection effect. We find little evidence of a contemporaneous impact of child work on health but work undertaken during childhood raises the risk of illness up to five years later and the risk is increasing with the duration of work. There is no evidence that work impedes the growth of the child.

Keywords: Child labour; health; Vietnam (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I12 J13 J22 J28 J43 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 38
Date: 2004-04-07
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr, nep-hea, nep-lab, nep-sea and nep-tra
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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Journal Article: Health effects of child work: Evidence from rural Vietnam (2005)
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