ABSTRACT
@#Introduction: Stunting, or linear growth failure, is defined by a height-for-age z-score of below -2SD according to WHO growth standard. Stunting can have short-, medium-, and long-term consequences. Rivers have an important role in human life. In several riverside areas, households still depend on the river for their livelihoods and health. This study aimed to explore the prevalence of stunting in children living by the riverside and its related factors. Methods: Epidemiological studies published from PUBMED, MEDLINE via EBSCOHost, Science Direct, ProQuest, and Research Gate databases were systematically searched. The publication period was not restricted. Only open-access and English articles were examined. Results: A total of 20 from 1200 studies were reviewed. The prevalence of stunting ranged from 20% to 48.3%. The other outcomes besides stunting were wasting and underweight status. There were 83 risk factors studied, and the most studied variables were age, gender, diarrhoea, water source, parent’s education, immunisation, and inappropriate complementary feeding practices (6 to 13 studies). Household water sources from rivers and economic status were consistently correlated with stunting. Majority of the risk factors studied were related to nutrition. From the environmental aspect, the most studied risk factors were water sources and sanitation. Conclusion: Children living by the riverside face a significant risk of stunting attributed to the consistent correlation between household water sources from rivers and economic status, affecting various aspects of daily life beyond drinking water. Future research is needed to examine the impact of environmental factors and the behaviours of riverside communities.
ABSTRACT
@#Introduction: Indonesia already has a regulation regarding capacity of public health sector to deal with climate change issue to overcome the adverse effects on health. This regulation is based on Indonesia's vulnerability to climate change and extreme weather. Despite having commitments and regulations about this issue, implementation of this policy is still not maximal in line with government expectations. Thus, the purpose of this study is to identify capacity of the health sector to be actively involved in minimizing the risks of climate change in Public Health Center (PHC) as the first level of health service for community. Method: This research is carried out to nine informants at three PHCs in the city of Padang. The study is conducted with a qualitative approach by reviewing the capacity of PHCs which regards to perception of climate change, health services provision for climate-based diseases, institution management, surveillance and early warning systems, and intersectoral coordination in managing climate change. Results: The results show that almost all informants in PHCs do not understand climate change issues correctly and do not have specific planning documents about climate change. Almost all PHCs do not utilize climate data that available from relevant stakeholders to predict climate-based diseases. Conclusion: The government is expected to apply existing climate change regulations in regional level so that PHCs can work through promotive and preventive approaches to address health problems caused by climate change.