title: Workplace abuse and economic exploitation of children working in the streets of Latin American cities.
abstract: This study presents the prevalence of, and factors associated with workplace abuse and economic exploitation among 584 children ages 5 to 17 working in the streets of the Latin American cities of Bogotá, Lima, Quito, and São Paulo. Each additional 10 hours/week of children's work in the streets increased workplace abuse prevalence by 8% (odds ratio [OR], 1.08; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.01-1.19). Suffering an occupational injury was associated with abuse (OR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.13-2.57). Participation in begging was associated with an almost five-fold increase in economic exploitation (OR, 4.94; 95% CI, 1.96-12.48). Children residing with their mothers were 2.6 times more likely to experience economic exploitation (OR, 2.61; 95% CI, 1.58-4.33), reflecting our definition of economic exploitation in which a child's income is confiscated by parents, even if used for basic family needs. Increased health care coverage and conditional cash transfer programs are recommended to improve the situation.
authors.affiliation: University of Maryland, School of Public Health, Family Sciences Department, College Park, MD, USA. ampinzon@umd.edu
authors.forename: Angela Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pinzon-Rondon
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Botero
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Benson
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Briceno-Ayala
authors.forename: Mariano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanamori
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004651:Employment / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007843:Latin America; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017132:Workplace / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000209:etiology