Medical Journal of Indonesia Vol. 31 No. 4 2022 FKUI
Short Stature and Stunting in Indonesia: Problems and Innovative Alternative Solutions
Dublin Core
Title
Medical Journal of Indonesia Vol. 31 No. 4 2022 FKUI
Short Stature and Stunting in Indonesia: Problems and Innovative Alternative Solutions
Short Stature and Stunting in Indonesia: Problems and Innovative Alternative Solutions
Description
Height stature, mostly influenced by genetic traits,
is also influenced by environment and nutrition. There
has been an increasing national average height in some
countries in the last 30 years. The national average
height is related to the national health care system
and nutritional status. Therefore, a higher national
average height is correlated with better health care,
especially nutritional support. A recent study has
shown that a higher height is related to a lower risk
of several health traits, i.e., cardiovascular disease.1
Togas et al2
also found that children with higher height
have higher cognitive value (intelligence quotient). To
improve this indicator, the program can only target the
high-risk population, including children and teenagers
who are still in the growth phase. Based on data from
NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, Indonesia has been
categorized as one of the top 10 countries with the
shortest average height,3
indicating the importance of
improving the health care system, especially nutritional
support for children and teenagers, to increase this
national average height indicator.
The combination of short stature and severe
malnutrition will lead to a stunting condition. Togas
et al2
found that stunting is associated with a lacking
cognitive development. Additionally, it may cause
mental disorders and chronic disease risks in the
future. Therefore, programs on reducing stunting
should target a wider population, including children
and high-risk populations such as pregnant women
and newborns. Gunardi et al4
found that the lower
mother’s educational level (less time) was the
significant factor for stunting. Although the incidence
of stunting in Indonesia reaches 22% in newborns,
Indonesia is still one-third of countries with a high
stunting condition. Gunardi et al4
found an irony that
stunting was still found in the capital city of Jakarta in
2014. Therefore, the Ministry of Health has prioritized
stunting elimination as part of the national healthcare
transformation by reducing the incidence to less than
15% in 2 years.5
As stunting management requires a
comprehensive and multi-sectoral approach involving
the health, nutrition, water, sanitation, and education
sectors, the government has encouraged educational
innovations and program applications for stunting
screening and monitoring in high-risk population.
The most important way to solve short stature/
stunting is to ensure the nutritional intake for the high-
risk population in the long term. Recently, innovative
ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTFs) containing
highly dense nutrition and enriched energy have been
developed to address these problems. Sjarif et al6
found that the daily growing-up milk (formulated milk
for children aged 1–3 years), as an example of RUTFs,
could decrease the risk of stunting. However, it is
costly in the long term, which may not be suitable for
the high-risk population with middle or low income.
Thus, innovation in affordable supplemental foods for
the high-risk stunting population is needed.
Indonesia, with its rich natural resources, should
take this advantage to develop a potential affordable
supplemental food against the stunting problem.
Personally, I am really grateful to be a part of research
group in the Medical Technology Cluster in the
Indonesia Medical Education and Research Institute,
Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia to carry out
this important project. The project is expected to find
alternative affordable supplemental food for high-risk
populations. This alternative supplemental food thus
will support the government program in reducing
stunting incidence in Indonesia. I would like to thank
Arindha Reni Pramesti, S.T., M.Sc, Azwien Niezam
Hawalie M., S.Tr.Kes, Muhammad Suhaeri, S.Si., M.Sc.,
Ph.D, and Prasandhya Astagiri Yusuf, S.Si, M.T, Ph.D as
a team in the Medical Technology Cluster, Indonesia
is also influenced by environment and nutrition. There
has been an increasing national average height in some
countries in the last 30 years. The national average
height is related to the national health care system
and nutritional status. Therefore, a higher national
average height is correlated with better health care,
especially nutritional support. A recent study has
shown that a higher height is related to a lower risk
of several health traits, i.e., cardiovascular disease.1
Togas et al2
also found that children with higher height
have higher cognitive value (intelligence quotient). To
improve this indicator, the program can only target the
high-risk population, including children and teenagers
who are still in the growth phase. Based on data from
NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, Indonesia has been
categorized as one of the top 10 countries with the
shortest average height,3
indicating the importance of
improving the health care system, especially nutritional
support for children and teenagers, to increase this
national average height indicator.
The combination of short stature and severe
malnutrition will lead to a stunting condition. Togas
et al2
found that stunting is associated with a lacking
cognitive development. Additionally, it may cause
mental disorders and chronic disease risks in the
future. Therefore, programs on reducing stunting
should target a wider population, including children
and high-risk populations such as pregnant women
and newborns. Gunardi et al4
found that the lower
mother’s educational level (less time) was the
significant factor for stunting. Although the incidence
of stunting in Indonesia reaches 22% in newborns,
Indonesia is still one-third of countries with a high
stunting condition. Gunardi et al4
found an irony that
stunting was still found in the capital city of Jakarta in
2014. Therefore, the Ministry of Health has prioritized
stunting elimination as part of the national healthcare
transformation by reducing the incidence to less than
15% in 2 years.5
As stunting management requires a
comprehensive and multi-sectoral approach involving
the health, nutrition, water, sanitation, and education
sectors, the government has encouraged educational
innovations and program applications for stunting
screening and monitoring in high-risk population.
The most important way to solve short stature/
stunting is to ensure the nutritional intake for the high-
risk population in the long term. Recently, innovative
ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTFs) containing
highly dense nutrition and enriched energy have been
developed to address these problems. Sjarif et al6
found that the daily growing-up milk (formulated milk
for children aged 1–3 years), as an example of RUTFs,
could decrease the risk of stunting. However, it is
costly in the long term, which may not be suitable for
the high-risk population with middle or low income.
Thus, innovation in affordable supplemental foods for
the high-risk stunting population is needed.
Indonesia, with its rich natural resources, should
take this advantage to develop a potential affordable
supplemental food against the stunting problem.
Personally, I am really grateful to be a part of research
group in the Medical Technology Cluster in the
Indonesia Medical Education and Research Institute,
Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia to carry out
this important project. The project is expected to find
alternative affordable supplemental food for high-risk
populations. This alternative supplemental food thus
will support the government program in reducing
stunting incidence in Indonesia. I would like to thank
Arindha Reni Pramesti, S.T., M.Sc, Azwien Niezam
Hawalie M., S.Tr.Kes, Muhammad Suhaeri, S.Si., M.Sc.,
Ph.D, and Prasandhya Astagiri Yusuf, S.Si, M.T, Ph.D as
a team in the Medical Technology Cluster, Indonesia
Creator
Agus Rizal Ardy Hariandy Hamid
Source
https://doi.org/10.13181/mji.ed.236924
Date
2022;31(4)
Contributor
peri irawan
Format
pdf
Language
english
Type
text
Files
Citation
Agus Rizal Ardy Hariandy Hamid, “Medical Journal of Indonesia Vol. 31 No. 4 2022 FKUI
Short Stature and Stunting in Indonesia: Problems and Innovative Alternative Solutions,” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed February 6, 2025, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/1084.
Short Stature and Stunting in Indonesia: Problems and Innovative Alternative Solutions,” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed February 6, 2025, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/1084.