TY - JOUR PY - 2014// TI - Labor and related injuries among schoolchildren in Palestine: findings from the National Study of Palestinian Schoolchildren (HBSC-WBG2006) JO - ISRN pediatrics A1 - Jildeh, Christine A1 - Abdeen, Ziad A1 - Al Sabbah, Haleama A1 - Papandreou, Christopher A1 - Ghannam, Ibrahim A1 - Weller, Nancy A1 - Philalithis, Anastas SP - 729573 EP - 729573 VL - 2014 IS - N2 - Background. Labor related injuries among Palestinian schoolchildren are a significant undocumented public health concern. This study aimed at documenting the prevalence and nature of work related injuries among schoolchildren as well as identifying sociodemographic factors that predict these injuries.

METHODS. A cross-sectional survey included 15,963 children of whom 6458 (40.8%) completed an optional package related to labor. Students aged 12-18 years self-completed the international WHO collaborative HBSC valid questionnaires between April and May of 2006.

RESULTS. Approximately 73.8% of the students who filled the optional package reported working during the last 12 months, of whom 79.1% sustained a work related injury. Work injuries were significantly higher among boys, younger children, and children enrolled in UNRWA schools and living in Gaza Strip (P < 0.05). Children working ≥3 hours/day were more likely to experience injuries, 1.73 (95% CI, 1.53-1.95), than those working ≤3/day. About half of the children worked in retail trade (51.5%), agriculture (20.0%), and cleaning (11.4%). Injury type was related to the type of work performed.

CONCLUSIONS. The high prevalence of injuries among working Palestinian schoolchildren confirms its severity as a public health problem. To reduce occupational injuries, policymakers and professionals should develop intervention programs that target the public and health providers.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 2090-469X UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/729573 ID - ref1 ER -