Mental and social health of working children and their comparison group
| Working children n (%) | Comparison group n (%) | Age education adjusted* OR (95% CI) or β (SE) | Fully adjusted* OR (95% CI) or β (SE) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval; SD, standard deviation; SE, standard error. | ||||
| *OR (logistic regression) and β coefficient (linear regression) adjusted for age and years at school, or adjusted for age, years at school, education of father, education of mother, and occupation of father; except for loss in mental development. | ||||
| †Loss = chronological age − mental age. | ||||
| ‡Adjusted only for years at school. | ||||
| §Adjusted for years at school, education of father, education of mother, and occupation of father. | ||||
| Scales | ||||
| Anxiety score (in quartiles) | ||||
| ⩽8 | 20 (26.7) | 18 (38.3) | 1.00 (Reference) | 1.00 (Reference) |
| 8–12 | 16 (21.3) | 9 (19.1) | 1.79 (0.52 to 6.14) | 1.75 (0.41 to 7.49) |
| 13–17 | 20 (26.7) | 13 (27.7) | 1.32 (0.42 to 4.18) | 1.00 (0.23 to 4.40) |
| ⩾18 | 19 (25.3) | 7 (14.9) | 2.67 (1.02 to 10.63) | 0.76 (0.08 to 7.03) |
| Mean (SD) | 12.9 (5.8) | 11.5 (5.5) | β: 0.50 (1.15), p = 0.66 | β: −0.64 (1.19), p = 0.60 |
| Hopelessness score (in quartiles) | ||||
| ⩽3.5 | 17 (25.0) | 12 (24.5) | 1.00 (Reference) | 1.00 (Reference) |
| 3.6–6.0 | 22 (32.4) | 17 (34.7) | 0.71 (0.23 to 2.13) | 0.38 (0.09 to 1.65) |
| 6.1–8.0 | 14 (20.6) | 14 (28.6) | 0.88 (0.23 to 3.41) | 0.56 (0.09 to 3.50) |
| >8.0 | 15 (22.1) | 6 (12.2) | 0.53 (0.10 to 2.77) | 0.33 (0.05 to 2.48) |
| Mean (SD) | 6.1 (3.0) | 5.6 (2.8) | β: 0.06 (0.63), p = 0.91 | β: −0.06 (0.73), p = 0.93 |
| Self-esteem score (in quartiles) | ||||
| ⩽14 | 16 (23.5) | 7 (14.0) | 1.30 (0.32 to 5.38) | 1.18 (0.26 to 5.40) |
| 15–17 | 15 (22.1) | 13 (26.0) | 0.60 (0.16 to 2.27) | 0.46 (0.10 to 2.15) |
| 18–20 | 22 (32.4) | 14 (28.0) | 1.05 (0.28 to 3.92) | 1.01 (0.21 to 4.93) |
| >20 | 15 (22.1) | 16 (32.0) | 1.00 (Reference) | 1.00 (Reference) |
| Mean (SD) | 17.5 (4.1) | 18.5 (3.9) | β: 0.04 (0.85), p = 0.97 | β: 0.48 (0.88), p = 0.59 |
| Child’s drawing | ||||
| Richness (complexity) of drawing | ||||
| Low | 51 (68.0) | 24 (51.1) | 1.00 (Reference) | 1.00 (Reference) |
| Average/high | 12 (16.0) | 13 (27.7) | 0.60 (0.25 to 1.42) | 0.98 (0.17 to 2.76) |
| Child drew himself inside house | ||||
| Yes | 41 (53.9) | 42 (77.8) | 1.00 (Reference) | 1.00 (Reference) |
| No | 35 (46.1) | 12 (22.2) | 4.20 (1.61 to 10.99) | 4.50 (1.43 to 14.29) |
| General impression | ||||
| Negative | 55 (71.4) | 39 (67.2) | 1.00 (Reference) | 1.00 (Reference) |
| Average/positive | 22 (28.6) | 19 (32.8) | 0.81 (0.35 to 1.85) | 0.58 (0.21 to 1.62) |
| Loss in mental development (years)† | ||||
| Mean (SD) | 8.0 (2.1) | 6.5 (2.1) | B: 1.68 (0.37)‡, p = 0.001 | B: 1.72 (0.43)§, p = 0.001 |
| Future dreams | ||||
| Job when adult | ||||
| White collar | 8 (10.5) | 24 (40.7) | 1.00 (Reference) | 1.00 (Reference) |
| Blue collar | 68 (89.5) | 35 (59.3) | 6.02 (2.11 to 17.20) | 4.53 (1.33 to 15.48) |
| Confidence in attaining job | ||||
| Not sure | 16 (21.3) | 26 (45.6) | 1.00 (Reference) | 1.00 (Reference) |
| Sure | 59 (78.7) | 31 (54.4) | 3.85 (1.60 to 9.26) | 5.92 (2.06 to 16.95) |
| Expects to travel for work | ||||
| No | 46 (60.5) | 35 (61.4) | 1.00 (Reference) | 1.00 (Reference) |
| Yes | 30 (39.5) | 22 (38.6) | 0.65 (0.28 to 1.53) | 0.94 (0.35 to 2.51) |