Embodied Costs of Debt Bondage: Work Productivity and Health Outcomes Among Child Brick Kiln Laborers

Abstract

Debt bondage remains one of the most exploitative forms of child labor, yet limited empirical research has examined its psychological and physical consequences, particularly in relation to productivity expectations. This quantitative study investigates how work productivity moderates the relationship between debt bondage and three dimensions of health: physical, mental, and overall well-being among children employed in brick kilns. Survey data were collected from 383 children aged 5 to 15 years and analyzed using moderated regression models. The results show that debt bondage is significantly associated with declines across all health domains, indicating that increased financial dependence and labor coercion are linked to poorer child health outcomes. Work productivity significantly moderated the association between debt bondage and both physical health (B = 0.22, p = .029) and overall health (B = 0.15, p = .008), while the moderation effect for mental health approached significance (B = 0.08, p = .117). The negative impact of debt bondage on health was strongest among children with low productivity, less pronounced among those with average productivity, and weakest among children with high productivity. These findings suggest that younger, weaker, or malnourished children, who are least able to meet forced labor demands, bear the greatest physical and psychological burden. The study highlights the need for interventions that address systemic exploitation while acknowledging the heightened vulnerability of children who are unable to maintain expected productivity levels.