Dian Nirmala Sari, Umi Nur Fajri, Nur Alfi Fauziah, Erna Yovi Kurniawati

OPTIMIZING STUNTING PREVENTION: KEY DETERMINANTS IN BANJARNEGARA REGENCY

Introduction

Optimizing stunting prevention: key determinants in banjarnegara regency. Optimize stunting prevention in Banjarnegara Regency. This study identifies key determinants like education, economic status, environment, and birth length influencing stunting in toddlers.

Abstract

The incidence of stunting in toddlers is a major nutritional issue in Indonesia. Data from the Nutrition Status Monitoring (PSG) over the past three years shows that stunting has the highest prevalence compared to other nutritional problems such as underweight, wasting, and obesity. The prevalence of stunting in toddlers increased from 27.5% in 2016 to 29.6% in 2017. Various factors influence the occurrence of stunting; however, these factors can vary by region. Detailed data on the determinants of stunting in children is crucial for informing government policies in addressing public health issues, particularly stunting. This study focuses on Banjarnegara Regency, which ranks among the top five regions with the highest stunting rates in Central Java. The objective of this research is to analyze the factors influencing stunting among children aged 2-5 years in Banjarnegara Regency. This quantitative study uses a case-control approach, with a population of all children aged 2-5 years. Data analysis includes univariate descriptive analysis and bivariate analysis using the Chi-Square test. The results indicate that education, economic status, environment, and birth length are associated with stunting in toddlers, whereas exclusive breastfeeding history is not associated with stunting.

Review

The manuscript addresses a highly pertinent public health issue: childhood stunting, particularly in the Indonesian context where its prevalence remains a significant concern and continues to rise in some regions. The focus on Banjarnegara Regency is well-justified given its reported high stunting rates and the acknowledged regional variability of determinants, making the study's objective of identifying local influencing factors crucial for targeted policy development. The chosen quantitative, case-control approach is an appropriate design for investigating associations between potential risk factors and stunting outcomes in a specific population, aligning with the aim to inform public health interventions. The study successfully identifies several factors associated with stunting in children aged 2-5 years within the chosen region, namely parental education, economic status, environmental conditions, and birth length. These findings are valuable as they provide specific, actionable insights for local health authorities, directly supporting the study's aim to inform government policies. Interestingly, the absence of an association with exclusive breastfeeding history, a commonly cited protective factor, merits further discussion and highlights the potential for unique regional dynamics or the influence of other overriding factors in Banjarnegara. The identification of birth length as a significant factor underscores the critical importance of antenatal care and early life interventions. While the study offers important insights, the reliance solely on bivariate analysis (Chi-Square test) for identifying "key determinants" presents a significant methodological limitation. To truly optimize prevention efforts, it would be beneficial to employ multivariate analyses (e.g., logistic regression) to ascertain independent risk factors and control for potential confounding variables, thereby providing a more robust and nuanced understanding of the direct and indirect influences on stunting. Furthermore, the abstract could benefit from more detail regarding the specific operational definitions and measurement of variables like "environment," as well as the sample size and exact selection criteria for the case-control groups from the stated population. Incorporating these elements would significantly strengthen the causal inference and generalizability of the findings, enhancing the paper's overall contribution.

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