Poster #138 - The impact of child labor on children’s reading outcomes in rural cocoa-producing communities in Côte d'Ivoire

• In Event: 2-002 - Special Poster Session 05 with Continental Breakfast Reception
  In Poster Session: PS 05 - International Section

Integrative Statement

INTRODUCTION. In rural Ivory Coast (40% of global cocoa production), child cocoa labor in impoverished communities is common and significantly impacts children’s developmental and academic outcomes. The negative impact of such complex and multidimensional poverty (i.e. families live below the poverty line, ~1 USD/day; FDA and Barry-Callebaut, 2017) on child developmental outcomes is well-established, however, the mechanisms that relate a child’s family environment to their labor activities (including domestic, economic, and agricultural), and academic outcomes (i.e. literacy) remain unclear. Here, we ask how do various dimensions of the rural environment, including child labor, intersect with family resources and livelihoods in ways that are relevant for literacy outcomes? Specifically, we measured literacy outcomes of primary-school children, and examined how such outcomes were influenced by family socioeconomic status (SES), child labor, and the complex dynamics between the two.

METHODS. 830 primary-school children (ages 6-14, M=9.56; SD=2.13; grade: 1st, 3rd, 5th) completed assessments of French language and literacy (RTI International, 2016) and an interview about about family SES, literacy resources (e.g. books at home, help with homework, etc.), and domestic, economic and agricultural activities (Tulane University, 2015).

RESULTS. Over 40% of children reported working on a cocoa plantation (76% reported hazardous activities, e.g. spraying pesticides). Older children (b=0.261, t(772)=2.650, p<.001) and male children (b=2.140, t(722)=5.401) were more likely to work on a cocoa plantation. Increased cocoa labor was associated with increased domestic (b=0.514, t(722)=3.552, p<.001) and economic labor (b=0.690, t(722), p<.001). While child cocoa labor did not directly relate to household SES, households with children who contributed more in domestic work had higher SES (b=0.185, t(798)=1.987, p<.05). Only 24% of children had a book at home, and 60% reported a literate family member. However, literacy support did not significantly relate to child labor or reading outcomes. Children’s reading skills, even at the end of 5th grade, were low (Fig1). Child cocoa labor was a significant predictor of reading (b=0.388, t(694)=2.245, p<.05). Specifically, hazardous labor had a strong negative impact on reading (b=-4.226, t(694)=-2.053, p<.05).

DISCUSSION. Our study demonstrates the direct impact of child labor on literacy outcomes. Children who labor on a cocoa plantation are the poorest readers in communities that already have high rates of illiteracy. Specifically, engaging in hazardous work has a negative impact on a child’s development, and the presence of literacy support at home does not appear to significantly offset these negative conditions. Moreover, the conditions that lead to child cocoa labor are complex (i.e., gender and age determine which children work), and generally, child laborers are working across all domains: agricultural, economic and domestic. Understanding the complex conditions that many rural Ivorian children grow up in can inform targeted policies to combat the child cocoa labor and illiteracy crisis.

Authors

• Axel Seri, Centre de Recherche et d’action pour la Paix (CERAP)
  Presenting Author

• Fabrice Tanoh, Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny
  Non-Presenting Author

• Hermann Akpe, Réseau Ouest et Centre Africain de Recherche en Education (ROCARE)
  Non-Presenting Author

• Kaja K Jasinska, University of Delaware
  Non-Presenting Author