Profiling and segmentation of urban poor children for better quality of life

Urban poverty in Malaysia has become an alarming phenomenon due to impacts of urbanization and it has created some social challenges. While reviews of past and present trends and studies have highlighted evidence of the nature and causes of urban poverty in the country, research on the quality of life of Malaysian urban poor’s children has received very little consideration. Past research has indicated the link between poverty, parenting, and psychological distress. World Health Organization (WHO) highlights how these children face a lifetime risk of mental health issues and negative well-being and UNICEF emphasizes their crucial needs and prioritizes the protection of the children. However, this issue is not well researched and there is lacking scientific evidence that captures the children of urban poor’s quality of life and mental health status. Studying the children’s wellbeing is fundamental, as they are the future social group that will shape the country. Therefore, the study proposed carried two main objectives. First is to understand how living in poverty shapes the well-being of urban poor’s children by constructing a profile and segmentation. Second is to explore why there are variations in the level of quality of life among urban poor’s children of similar background and social status. The research will employ both methods of quantitative and qualitative studies. First, through descriptive research, a profile of the children based on the quality of life, resilience, and mental distress indicator will be performed. Second, based on the profiling and segmentation analysis, an in-depth investigation will be conducted to determine factors that make a difference in the quality of life and their life expectation. The study is significant in providing valuable insights in developing protective measures for the children’s social wellbeing.