The role of geographical isolation in children’s growth
Background Historical evidence highlights links between height and environmental factors, with geographic isolation playing a crucial role. The Kangean Island, one of Indonesia’s small, isolated islands, offers a unique context for research on growth. Objectives The study aims to compare the heig...
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| Language: | English |
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Universitätsverlag Potsdam
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Human Biology and Public Health |
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| Online Access: | http://www.human-biology-and-public-health.org/index.php/hbph/article/view/89 |
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| author | Yuni Hisbiyah Muhammad Faizi Nabilah Azzah Putri Wairooy Rayi Kurnia Perwitasari Nur Rochmah |
| author_facet | Yuni Hisbiyah Muhammad Faizi Nabilah Azzah Putri Wairooy Rayi Kurnia Perwitasari Nur Rochmah |
| author_sort | Yuni Hisbiyah |
| collection | DOAJ |
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Background Historical evidence highlights links between height and environmental factors, with geographic isolation playing a crucial role. The Kangean Island, one of Indonesia’s small, isolated islands, offers a unique context for research on growth.
Objectives The study aims to compare the height of 15-17-year-old girls in Malang, Java, with those of the same age on Kangean. It also compares the height of boys and girls aged 1 month–12 years old from Arjasa and Kangayan locations over two hours away from the port on the Kangean Island.
Sample and Methods We studied 2 groups with a total of 393 participants: girls aged 15–17 years from Malang (n=91); and Kangean (n=94), children aged 1 month–12 years from the Kangean Island (n=208); we measured the participants’ height, weight, and BMI, converted them based on the WHO-reference SDS values from 2007, and then analyzed the data using SPSS.
Results Compared with Malang, female adolescents on Kangean were shorter (-1.42±0.79 vs. -0.88±0.79, p<0.001), had lower weight (-1.84±1.40 vs. -0.50±1.18, p=0.00), and lower BMI (-0.84±1.29 vs. 0.069±1.02, p<0.001). Kangayan boys were shorter than those in Arjasa (-1.67±1.00 vs. -0.83±1.36; p<0.001), while Kangayan girls were similar to their counterparts in Arjasa. There were no significant differences in weight between all the Kangan and Arjasa groups, but Kangayan’s children had a higher mean BMI-SDS than Arjasa’s (boys: -0.55±1.45 vs. -1.32±1.52; p=0.009; girls: -0.54±0.94 vs. -1.12 ± 1.04; p=0.01).
Conclusion Living on a small island and the distance from its port differently affect the growth of children and adolescents.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-092beaec2bb743cdb65b623bdc305a21 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2748-9957 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Universitätsverlag Potsdam |
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| series | Human Biology and Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-092beaec2bb743cdb65b623bdc305a212025-08-20T04:03:12ZengUniversitätsverlag PotsdamHuman Biology and Public Health2748-99572025-07-01110.52905/hbph2025.1.89The role of geographical isolation in children’s growthYuni Hisbiyah0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1362-108XMuhammad Faizi1Nabilah Azzah Putri Wairooy2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2916-6859Rayi Kurnia Perwitasari3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8699-4063Nur Rochmah4Department of Child Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, SurabayaDepartment of Child Health, Dr. Soetomo General Academic Hospital, SurabayaFaculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya Department of Child Health, Dr. Soetomo General Academic Hospital, SurabayaDepartment of Child Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya Background Historical evidence highlights links between height and environmental factors, with geographic isolation playing a crucial role. The Kangean Island, one of Indonesia’s small, isolated islands, offers a unique context for research on growth. Objectives The study aims to compare the height of 15-17-year-old girls in Malang, Java, with those of the same age on Kangean. It also compares the height of boys and girls aged 1 month–12 years old from Arjasa and Kangayan locations over two hours away from the port on the Kangean Island. Sample and Methods We studied 2 groups with a total of 393 participants: girls aged 15–17 years from Malang (n=91); and Kangean (n=94), children aged 1 month–12 years from the Kangean Island (n=208); we measured the participants’ height, weight, and BMI, converted them based on the WHO-reference SDS values from 2007, and then analyzed the data using SPSS. Results Compared with Malang, female adolescents on Kangean were shorter (-1.42±0.79 vs. -0.88±0.79, p<0.001), had lower weight (-1.84±1.40 vs. -0.50±1.18, p=0.00), and lower BMI (-0.84±1.29 vs. 0.069±1.02, p<0.001). Kangayan boys were shorter than those in Arjasa (-1.67±1.00 vs. -0.83±1.36; p<0.001), while Kangayan girls were similar to their counterparts in Arjasa. There were no significant differences in weight between all the Kangan and Arjasa groups, but Kangayan’s children had a higher mean BMI-SDS than Arjasa’s (boys: -0.55±1.45 vs. -1.32±1.52; p=0.009; girls: -0.54±0.94 vs. -1.12 ± 1.04; p=0.01). Conclusion Living on a small island and the distance from its port differently affect the growth of children and adolescents. http://www.human-biology-and-public-health.org/index.php/hbph/article/view/89HeightIslandIsolatedGeographicalGrowth |
| spellingShingle | Yuni Hisbiyah Muhammad Faizi Nabilah Azzah Putri Wairooy Rayi Kurnia Perwitasari Nur Rochmah The role of geographical isolation in children’s growth Human Biology and Public Health Height Island Isolated Geographical Growth |
| title | The role of geographical isolation in children’s growth |
| title_full | The role of geographical isolation in children’s growth |
| title_fullStr | The role of geographical isolation in children’s growth |
| title_full_unstemmed | The role of geographical isolation in children’s growth |
| title_short | The role of geographical isolation in children’s growth |
| title_sort | role of geographical isolation in children s growth |
| topic | Height Island Isolated Geographical Growth |
| url | http://www.human-biology-and-public-health.org/index.php/hbph/article/view/89 |
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