THE HEALTH IMPLICATION OF CHILD LABOUR AMONG TEENAGERS IN IKPOBA-OKHA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF EDO STATE

ABSTRACT

This study is an evaluationthe health implication of child labour among teenagers in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State. This study adopted the survey research design which enables the study to source data from a sample of 400 respondents in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, The data was analysed using percentage and chi-square technique, the result shows that there is significant relationship between child labour and detrimental effect on teenagers’ physical development in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area. The findings revealed that there is significant relationship between child labour and healthy development into adulthood among teenagers in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area. The result indicated that there is negative significant relationship between child labour and teenagers’ vulnerability to sexual abuse in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area. the result further shows that there is negative significant relationship between child labour and mental health of teenagers in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area. The study recommends that parents should be mandated to protect their young children from child labour through education and through updated, enhanced, and adequately enforced laws and regulations. Educational efforts should be targeted towards the behaviour of individuals involved in child labour and their parents, employers, teachers, and mentors. Such efforts should also be indispensable part of the public policies to protect the health and safety of teenagers. Child experts and professional should present targeted effort towards health care providers who work with teenagers and young children to develop professional routinely collection of essential information about child labour and present it in the appropriate quarters and provide anticipatory guidance to teenager workers in work-related health issues.