Potential risk of stunting in children under five years living by the riverside: a systematic review

Restila, Ridha and Wispriyono, Bambang and Arminsih, Ririn and Achmadi, Umar Fahmi and Miko, Tri Yunis and Djafri, Defriman and Hananto, Miko (2023) Potential risk of stunting in children under five years living by the riverside: a systematic review. Malaysian Journal of Nutrition (Malaysia), 29 (3). pp. 379-399. ISSN 1394 – 035X

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.

Full text available from: Official URL: https://www.nutriweb.org.my/mjn/publication/29-3/V...

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.

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Item Type:	Article
AGROVOC Term:	children
AGROVOC Term:	health
AGROVOC Term:	livelihoods
AGROVOC Term:	diarrhoea
AGROVOC Term:	risk factors
AGROVOC Term:	sanitation standard operating procedures
AGROVOC Term:	nutrition
AGROVOC Term:	stunting
AGROVOC Term:	water resources
Geographical Term:	Indonesia
Uncontrolled Keywords:	children, risk factor, river, riverside, stunting
Depositing User:	Ms. Azariah Hashim
Date Deposited:	16 Jun 2026 01:48
Last Modified:	16 Jun 2026 01:48
URI:	http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/3612

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