Influence of Socioeconomic Status on the Prevalence of Stunted Growth and Obesity in Prepubertal Indonesian Children

Abstract

This cross-sectional study assesses the prevalence of stunting, overweight, and obesity in prepubertal children from different socioeconomic groups in Indonesia. Children from rural, poor urban, and nonpoor urban communities were studied (n = 3,010). The prevalences of stunting, wasting, overweight, and obesity were 19.3%, 5.0%, 2.7%, and 0.8%, respectively. The odds ratios (OR) for stunting, as compared with nonpoor urban children, were higher among rural children (2.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.37–3.59) than among poor urban children (1.58; 95% CI, 1.18–2.13). The prevalence of wasting was not influenced by socioeconomic status. Both rural and poor urban children were significantly less likely to be overweight than were nonpoor urban children: in comparison with nonpoor urban children, the OR values were 0.19 (95% CI, 0.10–0.36) for rural and 0.13 (95% CI, 0.04–0.43) for poor urban children. Boys were more likely to be stunted or obese than girls: OR for stunting, 1.75 (95% CI, 1.44–2.12); OR for obesity, 4.07 (95% CI, 1.40–11.8). Stunted children were less likely than non-stunted children to be overweight: OR, 0.10 (95% CI, 0.03–0.43). In Indonesia, undernutrition is still related to poverty, whereas obesity is more related to prosperity.