Injury occurrence and gender-related factors among child workers in Nicaragua: a crossectional study

Abstract

Background and aim: Few studies have explored the effect of gender on injuries occurrence among child workers, despite multiple studies indicating gender often dictates occupations, tasks, and working conditions of boys and girls in developing countries. We aimed to assed the influence of gender-related factors on non-work-related (non-WRI) and work-related injuries (WRI) occurrence in child workers in Nicaragua. Method: We performed a crossectional study among children (3 to 17 years of age) working in agriculture (n=120), street working children (n=108), and non-working referents (n=140) in 2019. We investigated self-reported non-WRI and WRI during the previous 12 months. Incidence rate (IR) per 1000 person-days, rate ratios (RR), and 95% CI were calculated by multivariate Poisson regression. Results: Child workers had a higher global incidence of injury than nonworking children (3.8 vs 0.7; p=0.001). Street workers had a higher incidence of WRI than agricultural workers (2.1 vs 1.6; p=0.022). When we analyzed only injuries occurring at work boys have a higher incidence than girls (2.3 vs 1.8; p=0.43) but when we included injuries that occurred when performing household chores girls had a higher incidence than boys (3.3 vs 2.2; p<0.0001). Moreover, girls had a higher incidence of severe injuries than boys (1.5 vs 0.9; p=0.012), Factors that increased the risk of WRI among all children, but with a higher impact among girls, were age ≤10 years), the number of working hours at work and home, single-parent family, living on the streets, out of school, alcohol or drug consumption, and pregnancy or parenthood. Conclusion: Our data suggest girls are at higher risk of WRI than boys, especially for severe injuries, and that relevant risk factors are modifiable. A deeper gender analysis of injury occurrence and determinants may allow for more effective targeting of prevention efforts. Kew words: Injuries, child labor, gender, Nicaragua