This study investigates the impact of agrarian labor on Cambodian children working in
the sector. Specifically, it assesses whether children in the agrarian workforce face a
higher likelihood of injury or illness than children working in other sectors. While
several studies agree that agricultural work in childhood has a negative impact on health,
very few studies exist that compare the rate of injury across sectors. In Cambodia,
approximately 52 percent of 7-14 year olds (more than 1.4 million children) were active
in economic activities in 2001, with the majority employed in the agricultural sector.
This study investigates the risk of injury to children in the agricultural sector in
comparison to children working in other industries. The results show that agricultural
child workers have a higher likelihood of occupational injury than those in other sectors.
These findings imply that the United States and the International Labor Organization
(ILO) will have to place more pressure on the Cambodian government to enforce its
national legislation on child labor. The ILO and Cambodian government should also
collaborate with other international organizations to design programs that mitigate the
risk factors associated with the illness and injury of child agrarian workers. The data
analyzed is from the 2001 Cambodian Survey on Children, an International Labor
Organization-sponsored SIMPOC survey with a nationally representative sample of over
5,000 children