Introduction: Understanding the correlation between body height components and blood pressure in children can encourage proper investment in population-based primary prevention programs and gives benefits in terms of public health and economic well-being. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of stunting and relationship between height, sitting height, leg length, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) in Javanese children in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Methods: This study used a cross sectional method which was conducted on 492 Javanese children aged 6-12 years old (237 boys and 255 girls). All children underwent anthropometric, SBP, and DBP measurements using standard procedures. Height-for-age based on WHO chart was used to define stunting, while leg length was based on the relative subischial leg-length. Statistical analysis was conducted using independent sample t-test and Pearson’s correlation test with a significance of p<0.05. Results: It was found that around 22.3% of children were stunted with two thirds of girls. Height components were positively correlated with SBP in boys (r=0.19–0.32, p<0.05) and girls (r:0.22–0.37, p<0.05) as well as DBP in boys (r:0.18–0.24, p<0.05) and girls (r:0.22–0.33, p<0.05). The highest correlations were found between siting height and SBP in boys and girls (r:0.32 and r:0.37, respectively). Conclusion: In this study, the incidence of stunting in girls was higher than boys. A positive correlation was found between the components of height and blood pressure. The component of sitting height was better than leg length for predicting blood pressure in Javanese children aged 6-12 years.

The high demand for sports abilities causes decreased performance in athletes. Nutrition may be closely related with performance decline. Dietitians play an important role in providing proper nutrition for athletes. This study aimed to determine the effect of nutrition intervention by a sports dietitian on the nutritional status and performance of sepak takraw players in The State Senior High School for Sports (SMANOR) Sidoarjo. A pre-experimental study was done using a one-group pre-post test without control design, on 27 sepak takraw players (20 boys, 7 girls) aged 14-18 years from SMANOR Sidoarjo. Participants were given nutrition interventions by a sports dietitian comprising nutrition education, nutrition counseling, and food assistance for three weeks. Nutritional status was evaluated using BMI-for-age and body fat percentage (BFP) and athletic performance using VO2 max (Bleep test method). Statistical analyses used were paired t-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The results indicated a significant decrease in BMI-for-age (pre = -0.26 ± 0.52 and post = -1.23 ± 0.55, p ≤ 0.001), an insignificant increase in the male BFP (pre = 13.06 ± 2.22% and post = 13.44 ± 1.70%, p = 0.162), a significant increase in the female BFP (pre = 22.54 ± 2.25% and post= 23.47 ± 1.91%, p = 0.028), and there was no significant difference in the athletes’ performance (pre = 46.82 ± 6.22 and post = 46.34 ± 5.36, p = 0.360). Nutrition interventions by a dietitian have a significant effect on nutritional status according to BMI-for-age and female BFP, but not on male BFP and performing sepak takraw players in SMANOR Sidoarjo.
Nutritional Status