Eka Sutrisna, Husna Maulida, Fauzan Saputra, Yunitasari, Arista Ardila, Suriani, Ristiani

Moringa Leaves-Added Food, Baby Massage, and Tui Na Massage to Reduce Stunting Rate on Young Children in Indonesia

Introduction

Moringa leaves-added food, baby massage, and tui na massage to reduce stunting rate on young children in indonesia. Discover how Moringa-added food, baby massage, and Tui Na massage effectively reduce stunting rates in young children in Aceh, Indonesia. Research shows significant growth improvement.

Abstract

Stunting remains a significant public health issue in Indonesia, particularly in Aceh Province, where the prevalence reached 33.18% in 2021 exceeding the WHO threshold. In North Aceh District, 14.3% of children under five were stunted, with Simpang Keramat District reporting one of the highest rates (35%). This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a combined intervention Moringa leaf-supplemented food within a balanced diet, baby massage, and Tui Na massage in improving the nutritional status of stunted children aged 0–2 years. A quasi-experimental pre-post design was used, involving 50 stunted children divided equally into treatment and control groups. The intervention was conducted over 2.5 months. Paired t-test results showed significant increases in weight (t24 = -6.656, p < .000) and height (t24 = -3.244, p < .003) in the treatment group compared to the control group. These findings suggest that combining dietary fortification using locally available Moringa leaves with physical stimulation through massage therapy can effectively enhance growth outcomes. Given the multifactorial nature of stunting, this study recommends that nurses and health practitioners incorporate both nutrition-based interventions and sensory-stimulating therapies to address growth delays in young children, particularly in high-risk areas such as Aceh.

Review

This study addresses a critical public health challenge, stunting in young children in Indonesia, by proposing and evaluating a novel combined intervention. The research thoughtfully integrates a locally available nutritional supplement (Moringa leaves-added food within a balanced diet) with physical stimulation through baby massage and Tui Na massage. The quasi-experimental pre-post design, involving 50 stunted children, demonstrated promising results, with the treatment group showing significant increases in both weight and height over 2.5 months. This approach is particularly commendable for its attempt to tackle the multifactorial nature of stunting by combining dietary and sensory-stimulating therapies, offering a potentially replicable and culturally appropriate strategy for high-risk regions. However, the abstract presents several methodological limitations that warrant consideration. While it states a comparison was made to a control group, the reported statistical results (paired t-tests) only indicate significant *within-group* changes for the treatment group, without explicitly detailing the statistical comparison of changes *between* the treatment and control groups (e.g., via independent t-test on change scores or ANCOVA). This omission makes it challenging to definitively attribute the observed improvements solely to the intervention. Furthermore, the abstract lacks crucial details regarding the control group's activities during the intervention period, the specific dosage or frequency of Moringa administration, and the standardized protocols for the massage therapies, which are essential for replication and a comprehensive understanding of the intervention's components. The quasi-experimental design itself, without randomization, also introduces a potential for selection bias and unmeasured confounding factors. Despite these limitations, the study offers valuable preliminary evidence for an integrated approach to stunting. It highlights the potential of combining nutritional support with sensory stimulation, a less common but intuitively appealing strategy. Future research should build upon these findings by employing a more robust randomized controlled trial design, providing comprehensive statistical comparisons between groups, and detailing all intervention protocols to ensure transparency and replicability. Investigating the long-term sustainability of the observed growth improvements, the individual contributions of each intervention component, and the cost-effectiveness of this combined approach would further enhance its translational impact for health practitioners and policymakers striving to reduce stunting rates globally.

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