In-depth examination of issues surrounding the reasons for child marriage in Kelantan, Malaysia: a qualitative study

Objective To examine individual, familial, community and societal issues surrounding the reasons for child marriage in Kelantan, Malaysia.Design Qualitative study by means of semistructured interviews with women and key informants, using social-ecological model as a conceptual framework.Setting Inte...

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Main Authors: Takeo Nakayama, Ayako Kohno, Maznah Dahlui, Nik Daliana Nik Farid, Siti Hawa Ali
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2019-09-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/9/e027377.full
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author Takeo Nakayama
Ayako Kohno
Maznah Dahlui
Nik Daliana Nik Farid
Siti Hawa Ali
author_facet Takeo Nakayama
Ayako Kohno
Maznah Dahlui
Nik Daliana Nik Farid
Siti Hawa Ali
author_sort Takeo Nakayama
collection DOAJ
description Objective To examine individual, familial, community and societal issues surrounding the reasons for child marriage in Kelantan, Malaysia.Design Qualitative study by means of semistructured interviews with women and key informants, using social-ecological model as a conceptual framework.Setting Interviews were conducted in Kota Bharu district, Kelantan, a northeast state in Peninsular Malaysia.Participants Eighteen women of reproductive age (18 to 44 years old) that experienced their first marriage below the age of 18, as well as five key informants, consisting of a government officer, a community leader, an officer from religious department and two mothers. The women were recruited from a reproductive health clinic. The key informants who had specialised knowledge related to child marriage were selectively chosen.Results Three themes emerged that aligned with the social-ecological model: immaturity in decision-making, family poverty and religious and cultural norms.Conclusions The findings imply that sex education and awareness-building activities regarding the consequences of child marriage must be implemented to eradicate child marriage in Malaysia. Such implementation must be coordinated as a team-based approach involving experts in such fields as law, religion, psychology, social-welfare and public health. In order to increase the awareness of child marriage consequences, the target for awareness must extend not only to the adolescent girls and their families, but also to the community and society at large by clearly communicating the negative consequences of and addressing the drivers for child marriage.
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spelling doaj-art-ef51504a6f264b3a85abdc24d36da44a2025-08-20T01:54:11ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552019-09-019910.1136/bmjopen-2018-027377In-depth examination of issues surrounding the reasons for child marriage in Kelantan, Malaysia: a qualitative studyTakeo Nakayama0Ayako Kohno1Maznah Dahlui2Nik Daliana Nik Farid3Siti Hawa Ali4Department of Health Informatics, Kyoto University School of Public Health, Kyoto, Japan1 Department of Health Informatics, School of Public Health in the Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, JapanCentre for Pooulation Health (CePH), Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia4 Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia5 Universiti Sains Malaysia School of Medical Sciences, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, MalaysiaObjective To examine individual, familial, community and societal issues surrounding the reasons for child marriage in Kelantan, Malaysia.Design Qualitative study by means of semistructured interviews with women and key informants, using social-ecological model as a conceptual framework.Setting Interviews were conducted in Kota Bharu district, Kelantan, a northeast state in Peninsular Malaysia.Participants Eighteen women of reproductive age (18 to 44 years old) that experienced their first marriage below the age of 18, as well as five key informants, consisting of a government officer, a community leader, an officer from religious department and two mothers. The women were recruited from a reproductive health clinic. The key informants who had specialised knowledge related to child marriage were selectively chosen.Results Three themes emerged that aligned with the social-ecological model: immaturity in decision-making, family poverty and religious and cultural norms.Conclusions The findings imply that sex education and awareness-building activities regarding the consequences of child marriage must be implemented to eradicate child marriage in Malaysia. Such implementation must be coordinated as a team-based approach involving experts in such fields as law, religion, psychology, social-welfare and public health. In order to increase the awareness of child marriage consequences, the target for awareness must extend not only to the adolescent girls and their families, but also to the community and society at large by clearly communicating the negative consequences of and addressing the drivers for child marriage.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/9/e027377.full
spellingShingle Takeo Nakayama
Ayako Kohno
Maznah Dahlui
Nik Daliana Nik Farid
Siti Hawa Ali
In-depth examination of issues surrounding the reasons for child marriage in Kelantan, Malaysia: a qualitative study
BMJ Open
title In-depth examination of issues surrounding the reasons for child marriage in Kelantan, Malaysia: a qualitative study
title_full In-depth examination of issues surrounding the reasons for child marriage in Kelantan, Malaysia: a qualitative study
title_fullStr In-depth examination of issues surrounding the reasons for child marriage in Kelantan, Malaysia: a qualitative study
title_full_unstemmed In-depth examination of issues surrounding the reasons for child marriage in Kelantan, Malaysia: a qualitative study
title_short In-depth examination of issues surrounding the reasons for child marriage in Kelantan, Malaysia: a qualitative study
title_sort in depth examination of issues surrounding the reasons for child marriage in kelantan malaysia a qualitative study
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/9/e027377.full
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