Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Title: Socio -economic and demographic factors influencing nutritional status among early 
childbearing young mothers in Bangladesh  
 
 
Version: 1 Date: 14 Apr 2016  
 
 
Reviewer: Scott  Ickes  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
The abstract needs some English language e diting. For example, severe is misspelled. Another 
example, "for getting underweight" sounds as though mothers are becoming underweight. 
Instead, this is cross sectional. Revise to say, "for being underweight"  
 
The first line needs revision. A mother who b ecomes pregnant is more appropriate versus "gets a 
baby."  
 
Line 70 again has an agreement issue with verb and noun.  
 
Line 84 needs support in the literature to justify why early pregnancy is a risk factor.  
 
Line 146 "are hover around" is unclear. Do you mean "is approximately" ?  
 
Line 145 -150 are clear in statistical terms, but the authors should explain the theoretical basis for 
their regression models.  
 
Results should be stated in terms of "the final study  sample"  
 
Normally, BMI is not calculated for pregnant mothers. Did the authors calculate BMI among 
pregnant mothers, or among mothers who became pregnant at a young age. If the latter, what 
pregnant counted as early? The first? Specify the sample selectio n.  
 
Line 184 "than their counterparts" is unclear. Compared to what reference group specifically?  
 
Line 201 -201 i unclear. The odds ratio of 9.49 makes it sounds like women in hard labor are less 
likely to be underweight compared to normal weight women.  
 
Lines 211 -220, again these OR < 1.0 would normally indicate a protective effect of the predictor 
variable on the outcome.  
 
line 256 "young lasses" is an odd phrase and too colloquial for a scientific journal.  
 
Table 4 should specify the outcome of the l ogistic regression (e.g. odds of being underweight")  
 
The tables should be more directly summarized throughout the paper.  
 
In general, this paper studies an important issue. The results could really benefits for  clearer 
conceptual orientation to a theory or framework that guides the analysis,and then report the 
results using that framework. As written now, the paper suffers from many results which are not 
clearly related using a hierarchical or categorical organization, this makes policy 
recommendations an d implications also challenging.  
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscri pt: 
 
Not suitable for publication unless extensively edited  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, fundi ng, or salary from 
an organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from t he publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the  
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial com peting interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare tha t I have no competing interests  
 
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