Exploring the prevalence, duration and determinants of participation in household chores among children aged 5–17 years in Bangladesh

The involvement of children in household chores, a form of hidden child labor, has both positive and negative aspects. On the positive side, it contributes to their physical activity and fosters a sense of responsibility towards their families and society. However, there is an adverse effect on their school attendance. Therefore, the aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of the children’s involvement in household chores in Bangladesh by examining the prevalence, duration, and controlling determinants. This study used the Chi-square test and multivariable logistic regression model to analyze the data of 39,509 children aged 5–17 years from MICS-2019. Approximately 58% of children participated in household activities, with around 69% of them being girls. About 14% of children had a chance of interruption in school attainment, while more than 6% were considered child laborers. Moreover, the study revealed that a child’s participation in household chores is significantly influenced by various key factors, including sex, age, the child’s education, the number of siblings, the mother’s education, division, and the family’s wealth status. Similarly, a child’s sex, age, education level, functional difficulties, and geographical region all had a notable influence on the duration of household activities. Furthermore, female children were almost threefold more likely to be involved in household chores than their male counterparts. Additionally, higher educated mothers and more wealthy families had a lower chance of involving their children in housekeeping chores. The study’s findings would help policymakers, social workers, and community leaders in developing appropriate strategies for involving children in household chores in order to increase their physical activity as well as family and social responsibility while ensuring that their school attainment is not hampered.