The current issue of BMC Public Health presents work by the Consortium of Low Income Population Research (CB40R), highlighting a comprehensive aspect of health, i.e., physical health, mental health, health behaviour and health financing; and also nutrition involving all stages of lifespan of the socioeconomic deprived group in Malaysia.Consortium of B40 Research (CB40R) reposited and harmonised shared, non-identifiable data from epidemiological studies involving low income population (B40) in Malaysia. CB40R also performed joint or mega-analyses using combined, harmonised data sets that yield collated results with enhanced statistical power, more variabilities (study population, geographical regions, ethnicities and sociocultural groups) to better understand the needs, characteristics and issues of B40 groups in Malaysia. It also aimed to develope a system/framework of minimum/standard variables to be collected in research involving B40 in future. For this special issues, members of the consortium have been invited to contribute an original article involving analysis of the health aspects, access to health and nutritional issues of the B40 samples.All the papers in this special issue have successfully highlighted the health and nutritional issues (i.e., non-communicable disease (NCD), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), knowledge towards sexually transmitted disease (STD), low birth weight, Motoric Cognitive Risk (MCR) syndrome, urinary incontinence), mental health, oral health and inequalities among the low-income group in Malaysia, including the rural population and also the urban poor. The low-income population in Malaysia is also at risk of both under- and over nutrition, of which specific cost effective strategies are indeed needed to improve their quality of life.The low income population in Malaysia is facing various health challenges, particularly related to NCD and poor mental health, nutritional and physical function. There is a need for a sustainable intervention model to tackle the issues. It is also important to highlight that reducing SES disparities in health will require policy initiatives addressing the components of socioeconomic status (income, education, and occupation) as well as the pathways by which these affect health.
This study examines the trends and determinants of child marriage among women aged 20-49 in Bangladesh. Data were extracted from the last six nationally representative Demographic and Health Surveys conducted during 1993-2011. Simple cross-tabulation and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were adopted. According to the survey conducted in 2011, more than 75% of marriages can be categorized as child marriages. This is a decline of 10 percentage points in the prevalence of child marriage compared with the survey conducted in 1993-1994. Despite some improvements in education and other socioeconomic indicators, Bangladeshi society still faces the relentless practice of early marriage. The mean age at first marriage has increased by only 1.4 years over the last one and half decades, from 14.3 years in 1993-1994 to 15.7 years in 2011. Although the situation on risk of child marriage has improved over time, the pace is sluggish. Both the year-of-birth and year-of-marriage cohorts of women suggest that the likelihood of marrying as a child has decreased significantly in recent years. The risk of child marriage was significantly higher when husbands had no formal education or little education, and when the wives were unemployed or unskilled workers. Muslim women living in rural areas have a greater risk of child marriage. Women's education level was the single most significant negative determinant of child marriage. Thus, the variables identified as important determinants of child marriage are: education of women and their husbands, and women's occupation, place of residence and religion. Programmes to help and motivate girls to stay in school will not only reduce early marriage but will also support overall societal development. The rigid enforcement of the legal minimum age at first marriage could be critical in decreasing child marriage.