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Comparison of the childrens stature in West Papua, Indonesia

Elda Irma Jeanne Joice Kawulur1, Febriza Dwiranti1, Wendy Yudija Limbong Allo2

  • 1Department of Biology Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences University of Papua Indonesia.

Homo : Internationale Zeitschrift Fur Die Vergleichende Forschung Am Menschen
|July 9, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Child height development varies by population. In West Papua, children

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Human Growth and Development
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Body height development is dynamic and influenced by sex, ethnicity, and population.
  • Stunting in children signifies a deviation from normal growth patterns and secular trends.
  • Understanding regional variations in child growth is crucial for public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the body height of children in West Papua against World Health Organization (WHO) growth standards.
  • To assess the prevalence of malnutrition, specifically stunting, in West Papuan children aged 5-19 years.
  • To analyze the relationship between height-for-age and body mass index-for-age z-scores.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study of 546 children (242 boys, 304 girls).
  • Calculation of standard deviation scores (SDS) for body height.
  • Assessment of nutritional status using height-for-age z-scores (HAZ) and body mass index-for-age z-scores (BAZ).
  • Statistical analysis including Shapiro-Wilk test and Wilcoxon test (p < 0.05 significance).

Main Results:

  • Mean body height SDS for girls was significantly higher than for boys.
  • Significant differences in body height were observed between West Papuan children and the WHO reference population (p < 0.05).
  • Severe stunting was more prevalent in girls (2.96%) than boys (0.82%), but overall stunting prevalence was higher in boys (15.16%) than girls (5.92%).
  • Some stunted children presented with normal weight, overweight, or obesity.

Conclusions:

  • Short stature in West Papuan children may result from combined biological, environmental, and nutritional factors.
  • Relying solely on body height for malnutrition assessment requires caution.
  • Alternative approaches and consideration of local biocultural characteristics are recommended for accurate malnutrition assessment.

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