Impact of Maternal Labor Force Participation in a Non-agricultural Sector on Child Health in Rural Cambodia

Evidence from Panel Data Analysis

Abstract

The objective of this study is to explore the effect of maternal labor force participation in a non-agricultural sector on child health (as measured by height for age and weight for age z-scores), by focusing on rural Cambodia. From the estimation results of panel data analysis, we found that maternal work in a non-agricultural sector has a significantly positive effect on child height and weight. In addition, if the mother is working as a garment/shoe factory worker, her child is more likely to have good nutrition.