Characteristics of Households - Childinfo.org

In Serbia, 76 percent of children aged 0–59 monthslive in households where at least 3 children’s books arepresent for the child (Table CD.3). Children with 10 ormore books declines to 58 percent. While no genderdifferentials are observed, urban children appear to havegreater access to children’s books than those living in ruralhouseholds. The proportion of children under-5 who have3 or more children’s books is 82 percent in urban areas,compared to 69 percent in rural areas. The presence ofchildren’s books is positively correlated with the child’sage; in the homes of 92 percent of children aged 24–59months, there are 3 or more children’s books, while thefigure is 47 percent for children aged 0–23 months.When children for whom there are 10 or more children’sbooks or picture books are taken into account, two-thirds ofchildren in urban areas (65 percent) and half of the childrenin rural areas (49 percent) have 10 or more books.Table CD.3 also shows that 63 percent of childrenaged 0–59 months had 2 or more playthings to playwith in their homes. The playthings in MICS includedhomemade toys (such as dolls and cars, or other toysmade at home), toys that came from a store, and householdobjects (such as pots and bowls) or objects and materialsfound outside the home (such as sticks, rocks, animalshells, or leaves). It is interesting to note that 95 percentof children play with toys that come from a store. Theproportion of children who have 2 or more playthingsis 66 percent among boys and 60 percent among girls.No urban-rural differentials are observed in this respector in terms of the mothers’ education. Toys from storesare present more among children whose household hashigher socioeconomic status or where the mother has ahigher education.Leaving children alone or in the presence of other youngchildren is known to increase the risk of accidents. InMICS, two questions were asked to find out whetherchildren aged 0–59 months were left alone during theweek preceding the interview, and whether children wereleft in the care of other children under 10 years of age.Table CD.4 shows that 1 percent of children aged 0–59months were left with inadequate care during the weekpreceding the survey, either being left alone or in thecare of another child. No differences were observed bybackground characteristics.Table CD.4: Inadequate care, Serbia, 2010Percentage of children under age 5 left alone or left in the careof another child younger than 10 years of age for more than onehour at least once during the past weekPercentage of children under age 5Left alonein the pastweekLeft in thecare ofanother childyounger than10 years ofage in thepast weekLeft withinadequatecare in thepast week 1Number ofchildrenunderage 5SexMale .7 .6 1.0 1670Female .8 .5 1.1 1704RegionBelgrade 1.0 .9 1.7 639Vojvodina .3 .5 .5 994Sumadijaand Western 1.6 .6 1.9 905SerbiaSouthern andEastern Serbia.1 .3 .3 836AreaUrban .8 .5 1.2 1810Rural .7 .6 .9 1564Age0–23 months .2 .1 .2 122024–59 months 1.1 .8 1.5 2154Mother’s educationPrimary .6 1.1 1.1 480Secondary .8 .3 1.1 1982Higher .5 .4 .7 878Wealth index quintilesPoorest 1.1 1.4 1.6 634Second 1.2 .3 1.4 658Middle 1.2 .2 1.3 599Fourth .3 .4 .5 665Richest .2 .4 .6 818Total .8 .5 1.0 33741MICS indicator 6.5142MULTIPLE INDICATOR CLUSTER SURVEY 2010