Determinants of Stunting in Children Aged 12 to 60 Months in Kota Waingapu District, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

Background: Stunting is a problem that is often not recognized in the community because short stature is so common and often considered normal. In Indonesia, the incidence of stunting under five is a major nutritional problem, with an average prevalence from 2015-2017 of around 36.4%. This study aimed to investigate the determinants of stunting in children aged 12 months - 60 months in the Waingapu District. Subjects and Method: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at Posyandu, Waing­apu District, in December 2020. A total of 105 samples were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria using non-probability conse­cutive sampling. The dependent variable was stunting. The independent variables were exclusive breastfeeding, birth weight, house­hold income, maternal education, mater­nal nutritional status, and maternal age. The data were collected by questionnaire and analyzed by Chi-square. Results: The prevalence of stunting in children aged 12 to 60 months in the Waingapu District was 24.8%. The bivariate analysis elucidated that the incidence of stunting was significantly increased by poor maternal education (OR= 3.40; 95% CI= 1.29 to 8.97; p= 0.011), poor maternal nutritional status (OR= 3.06; 95% CI= 1.05 to 8.89; p= 0.034), and low household income (p = 0.002). Conclusion: Poor maternal education, poor maternal nutritional status, and low household income significantly increase the incidence of stunting. Keyword s : stunting, determinant, nutritional status, children Correspondence:  Samuel Bungaran Partahi Saud Manalu. Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sumatera Utara. Email: samuel.manalu.4th@gmail.com Indonesian Journal of Medicine (2021), 06(02): 220-229 https://doi.org/10.26911/theijmed.2021.06.02.11