Morbidity Profile of Child Labor at Gem Polishing Units of Jaipur, India

BACKGROUND: There are millions of working children worldwide. Several causes are suggested for this social evil of which poverty plays a significant role in whether a child will work. OBJECTIVE: To determine the morbidity profile in the working children of gem polishing units of Jaipur, India and assess some of its associated socio-economic factors. METHODS: The present cross-sectional study included 586 gem polishing working children. Using interview, the demographic characteristics, occupational and clinical history of participants were recorded. The reason for taking up the job, income from the job and their desire to attend the school were also asked to assess the social causes of child labor in this region. RESULTS: The mean±SD age of the working children was 11.3±5.3 years. In most of the instances, parents compelled the child to take up the job. Supposed to increase the family income substantially, the child labor activity failed to do so. On the other hand, the children suffered from several occupational health problems like eyestrain, headache, gastrointestinal complaints (eg , abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea), musculoskeletal symptoms (eg , back pain, pain in limbs, neck pain, and joint pains) and skin diseases (eg , scabies, dermatitis). CONCLUSION: It seems that the social factors forcing the children to work in the studied region, result in deterioration of their health and affect their growth.