Stunting does not impair physical fitness in Indonesian school children

Abstract: Background Physical fitness is decreased in malnourished children and adults. Poor appearance and muscular flaccidity are among the first signs of malnutrition. Malnutrition is often associated with stunting. Objectives We test the hypotheses that stunted children of low social strata are physically less fit than children of high social strata. Sample We investigated 354 school girls and 369 school boys aged 5.83 to 13.83 (mean 9.54) years from three different social strata in Kupang (West-Timor, Indonesia) in 2020. Methods We measured height, weight, and elbow breadth, calculated standard deviation (SDS) of height and weight according to CDC references, and the Frame index as an indicator of long-term physical fitness, and we tested physical fitness in standing long jump and hand grip strength. Results Children of low social strata are physically fittest. They jump longer distances, and they have higher values in the Frame index. No association exists between height SDS and physic.... https://www.human-biology-and-public-health.org/index.php/hbph/article/view/19

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Stunting does not impair physical fitness in Indonesian school children ; volume:2 ; year:2021 ; Human biology and public health ; 2 (2021)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Scheffler, Christiane ; Hermanussen, Michael

Further information

• DOI: 10.52905/hbph.v2.19
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2023081617105032177733
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 14.08.2025, 10:56 AM CEST