Lifestyle, Food Consumption, and Nutritional Status of Child Labor in Kendari City Southeast Sulawesi Province, Indonesia

[Abstract] Since the economic crisis that swept Indonesia, the number of children involved in child labor has continued to increase in this country. This increase in child labor will have effects on nutrition and health issues. This study was performed to assess lifestyle, food consumption, and nutritional status of children involved in child labor in comparison with non-child laborers in Kendari City. The study population consisted of 410 children aged 6 - 15 years old; 205 child laborers and 205 non-child laborers. Characteristics, lifestyle, and food consumption were determined by interview using questionnaires. Nutritional status of children related to body weight and height was determined by anthropometric measurements. Nutritional status for BMI for age (BAZ) was classified into five groups: very thin, thin, normal, overweight, obese. Nutritional status for height for age (HAZ) was classified into five groups: very short, short, normal, high, very high. Among the child laborers 34.1% dropped out of school, 2.0% never attended school, and 21.0% smoked. The fathers of child laborers were predominantly engaged in daily labor 66.8%, and 15.1% were unemployed. Their mothers were unemployed 47.8%, and 47.3% were engaged in daily labor. BMI for age of 5 groups showed that the majority of both child laborers and non-child laborers had normal weight. Height for age of 5 groups showed severely stunted growth and stunted growth in 25.4% and 21.9% of child laborers, respectively, while 26.3% and 22.9% of non-child laborers were very high or high, respectively (P