Wealth, Social Protection Programs, and Child Labor in Colombia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Ángela María Pinzón-Rondón, Liseth B. Cifuentes, Catalina Zuluaga, Juan Carlos Botero, Mariana Pinzon-Caicedo. International Journal of Health Services. January 16, 2018

Posted: 11 May 2018

See all articles by Angela Maria Pinzon-Rondon

Angela Maria Pinzon-Rondon

Universidad del Rosario

Liseth B. Cifuentes

Universidad del Rosario

Catalina Zuluaga

Universidad del Rosario

Juan Carlos Botero

Pontifica Universidad Javeriana Law School

Mariana Pinzon-Caicedo

Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)

Date Written: January 2018

Abstract

This article has 3 main objectives: (1) to assess the prevalence of child labor in Colombia, (2) to identify factors associated with child labor, and (3) to determine whether social protection programs have an association with the prevalence of child labor in the country. Using a cross-sectional study with data from the Colombian Demographic and Health Survey 2010, a working child was defined as a child who worked during the week prior to the survey in an activity other than household chores. Through descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis, and multivariate regressions, it was found that child labor was associated with gender (boys were more likely to work), older age, ethnicity (children from indigenous communities were more likely to be workers), school dropout, disability (children with disabilities were less likely to be working), subsidized health social security system membership, and lower number of years of mother’s schooling. Furthermore, the results of this study suggest that children beneficiaries of the subsidy Familias en Acción were less likely to be working and that social protection programs were more effective to reduce child labor when targeting the lowest wealth quintiles of the Colombian population.

Keywords: Child Labor, Employment, Child, Adolescent, Colombia, Government, Social Protection

Suggested Citation

Pinzon-Rondon, Angela Maria and Cifuentes, Liseth B. and Zuluaga, Catalina and Botero, Juan Carlos and Pinzon-Caicedo, Mariana, Wealth, Social Protection Programs, and Child Labor in Colombia: A Cross-Sectional Study (January 2018). Ángela María Pinzón-Rondón, Liseth B. Cifuentes, Catalina Zuluaga, Juan Carlos Botero, Mariana Pinzon-Caicedo. International Journal of Health Services. January 16, 2018, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3169315

Angela Maria Pinzon-Rondon (Contact Author)

Universidad del Rosario ( email )

Calle 12 No. 6-25
Bogota, DC
Colombia

Liseth B. Cifuentes

Universidad del Rosario

Calle 12 No. 6-25
Bogota, DC
Colombia

Catalina Zuluaga

Universidad del Rosario

Calle 12 No. 6-25
Bogota, DC
Colombia

Juan Carlos Botero

Pontifica Universidad Javeriana Law School ( email )

Cale 40 # 6-23 piso 7
Bogotá, DC 110231
Colombia

Mariana Pinzon-Caicedo

Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)

1300 New York Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20577
United States

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