Women's Agricultural Work, Child Care, and Infant Diarrhea in Rural Kenya

This study analyzes the relationship between womens agricultural work and childcare and the subsequent effect of different child care practices on infant diarrhea. The data were collected among the Embu a rural agricultural group in Kenya from 1984-1986. Time allocation data on womens work patterns and child care practices are used to explore the 1st part of the research question. An epidemiological study of the influence of caretaking practices on the risk of infant diarrhea addresses the 2nd part of the question. The results from these 2 facets of the study suggest that womens time in caretaking is influenced by corresponding increases in agricultural work that decreases in caretaking increase the risk of infant diarrhea but that participation of older children in caretaking responsibilities can reduce the risk of diarrhea among infants in the family. Among Embu women time spent in child care is affected by time allocated to food production. This is evidenced by 1) the time allocation differences between women with infants and women without infants 2) the negative correlation of these activities among women with infants and 3) the seasonal interactions of child care and food production activities. Child care in turn affects a childs physical health. This is seen in the increased risk of diarrhea for children of all ages studied who were held or touched less than other children. The older sisters of infants help out with the child care thereby enabling the mothers to spend more time in food production. A young family without older children however has few caretaking resources and thus fewer time allocation options. Such a family risks undernutrition from inadequate food production and/or a sick infant from inadequate child care.