Original paper
Comparison of the children’s stature in West Papua, Indonesia
Kawulur, Elda Irma Jeanne Joice; Dwiranti, Febriza; Allo, Wendy Yudija Limbong; Rohmatullayaly, Eneng Nunuz
published online: Jul 9, 2026
manuscript accepted: Apr 11, 2026
final revised version received: Apr 11, 2026
manuscript revision requested: Mar 10, 2026
manuscript received: Oct 4, 2025
DOI: 10.1127/homo/1988
Open Access (paper may be downloaded free of charge)
Abstract
The pattern of body height development is dynamic across all phases of the life cycle and varies by sex, ethnicity, and population. Stunting in children deviates from the concept of normal height development and the secular trend. This study aimed to compare the body height of children in West Papua with World Health Organization growth standards and to assess malnutrition, particularly stunting, among children aged 5–19 years. This cross-sectional study included 546 children, comprising 242 boys and 304 girls. We calculated the standard deviation score (SDS) for body height. Nutritional status was assessed using height-for-age z-scores (HAZ) and body mass index-for-age z-scores (BAZ). The density distribution of body height SDS was examined. Normality was tested using the Shapiro-Wilk test, and differences in body height were analyzed using the Wilcoxon test, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. The mean SDS for girls was higher than that for boys. There were significant differences in body height between children in West Papua and the WHO reference population (p < 0.05). The percentage of severely stunted children was higher in girls (2.96%) than in boys (0.82%). In contrast, the prevalence of stunting was higher in boys (15.16%) than in girls (5.92%). Some stunted children were also classified as normal weight, overweight, or obese. Our findings indicate that short stature may reflect a combination of biological, environmental, and nutritional influences. Therefore, the use of body height alone as a reference for determining malnutrition should be approached cautiously, with consideration of alternative approaches and the biocultural characteristics of the local community.
Keywords
children • height • stunting • nutritional status • natural condition