Childrens Time Use in Ghana ; Determinants And Effects on School Attendance

ABSTRACT

Children spending excessive time on market and domestic chores is common and pervasive in developing countries. This time input contributes to household’s current consumption which is beneficial to improving the current standard of living in the households. However with the tendency of affecting children’s welfare. There has been a lot of research on time use of children with more focus on children’s time on market activities whiles less attention is given to the hours children spend on domestic chores or housework and its possible consequences on a child’s welfare. It is for this reason that this thesis seeks to ascertain the determinants of children’s time use on market and domestic chores in Ghana and examine its effect on school attendance. Data from the 2012/2013 Ghana Living Standards Survey is used for the empirical analysis. The study adopts OLS and Heckman-Two Step regression techniques to examine the determinants of children’s time on domestic chores and market activities, respectively. The analysis reveals that the demographic characteristics of the child in terms of age, gender, and location, distance to water source, access to electricity and education of the head of household are significant factors in influencing children’s time use. Boys spend more time on market activities than girls whiles girls spend more time on domestic activities than boys. Also the study revealed that fostered children spend more time on domestic chores and market related ventures than children co-residing with both parents. The consequences of children’s involvement in market activities and domestic chores on school attendance was explored using Heckman- Two step regression. The study results reveals that children’s time spent on market activities negatively and significantly affects school attendance. Time spent on domestic chores, however, was not significant.