Table 2

Sociodemographic characteristics of working children (n = 78) and their comparison group (n = 60)

	Working children		Comparison		p value
	n	%	n	%	p value
*Lebanese civil war (1975–90).
Age (years)	n = 78		n = 60
10–12	16	20.5	28	46.7
13–14	28	35.9	17	28.3
15–18	34	43.6	15	25.0	0.004
Mean (SD)	14.09 (1.76)		13.08 (2.07)		0.002
No. of times displaced during war*	n = 78		n = 57
0	41	52.6	44	77.2
1	20	25.6	6	10.5
>1	17	21.8	7	12.3	0.01
Mean (SD)	0.82 (1.13)		0.44 (0.98)		0.04
Years at school	n = 76		n = 54
Mean (SD)	6.49 (2.69)		7.28 (3.84)		0.17
Father’s education	n = 77		n = 58
Illiterate	24	31.2	7	12.1
Elementary/reads and writes	40	51.9	23	39.7
>Elementary	13	16.9	28	48.3	0.001
Mother’s education	n = 78		n = 59
Illiterate	29	39.7	10	16.9
Elementary/reads and writes	32	33.8	25	42.3
>Elementary	12	16.4	24	40.7	0.002
Father’s occupation	n = 76		n = 60
White collar	12	15.8	19	31.7
Skilled blue collar	20	26.3	18	30.0
Unskilled blue collar	36	47.4	13	21.7
Military	2	2.6	7	11.7
Unemployed	6	7.9	3	5.0	0.006
Mother involved in paid work	n = 73		n = 57
Yes	10	13.7	8	14.0
No	63	86.3	49	86.0	0.96
No. of siblings in same household	n = 78		n = 60
<3	22	28.2	24	40.0
3–5	28	35.9	22	36.7
>5	28	35.9	14	23.3	0.20
Proportion of working siblings (%)	n = 76		n = 58
0	12	15.8	27	46.6
<50	28	36.8	13	22.4
⩾50	36	47.4	18	31.0	0.001