<![CDATA[Child morbidity remains a persistent public health challenge in many developing regions, and its link with maternal employment continues to generate mixed empirical findings. In Bengkulu Province, where women’s labor force participation intersects with socioeconomic constraints, understanding whether maternal employment contributes to children’s health vulnerability is an important policy concern. This study analyzes the effect of maternal employment status on child morbidity in Bengkulu Province using data from the 2023 National Socioeconomic Survey (SUSENAS). The study focuses on children aged 5–10 years and employs a logistic regression model. Child morbidity is measured based on reported health complaints in the past month. Maternal employment status serves as the main explanatory variable, alongside socioeconomic and demographic controls, including working hours, education, household economic condition, child characteristics, residence, and household size. The findings reveal that maternal employment status does not directly determine the likelihood of child morbidity. However, other factors, such as maternal working hours, education level, household economic condition, the child’s age and gender, and household size, significantly influence child health outcomes. These results suggest that child morbidity is shaped more by the broader socioeconomic context than by maternal work status alone. Policy implications include expanding women’s access to education, strengthening poverty reduction programs, improving childcare support, and promoting flexible working arrangements for mothers.]]>
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