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Malnutrition and food insecurity in child labourers in Sindh, Pakistan: a cross-sectional study

Meesha Iqbal1, Zafar Fatmi1, Kausar Khan1

  • 1Department of Community Health Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.

Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal = La Revue De Sante De La Mediterranee Orientale = Al-Majallah Al-Sihhiyah Li-Sharq Al-Mutawassit
|October 13, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Child labourers in Pakistan face significant food insecurity and poor nutritional status, with high rates of stunting and wasting. Their inadequate diets highlight a critical public health issue in the region.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health Nutrition
  • Child Labour Studies
  • Socioeconomic Determinants of Health

Background:

  • Child labour is prevalent in low- and middle-income countries, including Pakistan.
  • There is a lack of data regarding the health and nutritional status of child labourers in Pakistan.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the food security, food intake, and nutritional status of child labourers aged 5-14 years.
  • The study focused on child labourers in lower Sindh, Pakistan, across various sectors.

Main Methods:

  • Recruited 634 child labourers (aged 5-14) from agriculture, industry, hospitality, domestic work, and migrant vegetable markets using respondent-driven sampling.
  • Collected sociodemographic and nutrition data via interviewer questionnaires.
  • Measured height and weight to determine stunting and wasting prevalence using standardized z-scores.

Main Results:

  • Overall, 15.5% of child labourers were stunted and 30.0% were wasted.
  • Highest stunting rates were in agriculture (27.2%), and highest wasting rates were in migrant workers (35.0%).
  • Over half (51.1%) experienced food insecurity, with widespread inadequate intake of vegetables, legumes, fruits, meat, and dairy.

Conclusions:

  • The nutritional status and food insecurity among Pakistani child labourers are alarmingly high.
  • Findings are comparable to the general population, indicating a severe national food security crisis.
  • Urgent interventions are needed to address the health and nutritional vulnerabilities of child labourers.
Abstract

Keywords:
Pakistanchild labourfood supplynutritional status

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