Health, access and nutritional issues among low-income population in Malaysia: introductory note

• Published in: BMC public health Vol. 19; no. Suppl 4; p. 552
• Main Authors: Shahar, Suzana, Lau, Huijin, Puteh, Sharifa Ezat Wan, Amara, Sofia, Razak, Norizan Abdul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 13-06-2019; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Birth weight; Cancer; Chronic diseases; Cognitive ability; Consortia; Dementia; Demographic aspects; Developing countries; Disease transmission; Epidemiology; Ethnicity; Expenditures; Food and nutrition; Health aspects; Health care disparities; Health equalities; Households; Income; Inflammatory bowel diseases; Intestine; LDCs; Life span; Linear programming; Low income groups; Low-birth-weight; Low-income group; Malaysia; Mental disorders; Mental health; Mental illness; Nutrition; Nutrition disorders; Nutritionally induced diseases; Occupational health; Older people; Oral hygiene; Poor; Population; Population (statistical); Population studies; Poverty; Public health; Quality of life; Risk factors; Rural areas; Rural populations; Sexually transmitted diseases; Social responsibility; Socioeconomic factors; Socioeconomics; Statistical methods; STD; Studies; Urban poverty; Urinary incontinence; Womens health; Malaysia; Health equalities; Malaysia; Nutrition; Low-income group; Quality of life
• ISSN: 1471-2458; 1471-2458
• DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-6852-8

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.